PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (S ): Richard S. Young, and John W. Tremor 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Sea Urchin Egg Fertilization and Development, S002 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Gemini 3 



CLASSIFICATION : Animal - Sea urchin eggs ( Arbacia punctulata ) 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Cell biology, Genetics 



OBJECTIVES : To investigate the effects of subgravity on fertilization, cell 

 division, differentiation, and growth of a relatively simple biological 

 system. 



PROTOCOL : The specimens in 4 chambers were fertilized pref light. The other 

 specimens were fertilized shortly after orbital insertion. Growth of 

 specimens in each group of fertilized eggs was inhibited at different stages 

 of development by the addition of fixative solution. A ground control package 

 was treated identically. 



EQUIPMENT : A cylinder of eight specimen chambers, each divided into 3 

 compartments so that the sperm, ova, and fixative solutions were separated. 

 Rotation of a handle actuated either fertilization or fixation. 



RESULTS : The experiment was flown and recovered as scheduled. However, the 

 experiment objectives were not achieved, primarily for mechanical reasons. 

 The operating mechanism for the package failed, and the handle did not actuate 

 the device. There also may have been leakage in the formalin (fixative) 

 chamber sufficient to damage the eggs. 



CONCLUSIONS : Insufficient data - inconclusive. 



PUBLICATIONS : 581, 582 



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