[A study on the ultrastructure of plant cell under simulated microgravity].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of microgravity on plant cell ultrastructure. METHOD: Analyzing the biological and physiological differences between the plants grown in the simulated microgravity conditions and their correspondent ground controls. RESULT: Various variances in cell walls, chloroplasts and mitochondria were observed with electron microscope. Those ultrastructure changes included plasmolysis, twist, contraction and deformation of cell walls, curvature and loose arrangement of chloroplast lamellae, breach of mitochondria, overflow of inclusions, disappearance of cristae, and significant increase in number of starch grains per cell. CONCLUSION: Simulated microgravity conditions exert some coerce influence on the plant growth and the changes above-mentioned were the responses in cell level.