PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S ): Samuel P. Johnson 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Biochemical Changes in the Endosperm of Wheat 



Seedlings in the Weightless State, P-1138 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Biosatellite II 



CLASSIFICATION : Plant - Wheat seedlings ( Triticum vuleare ) 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Behavioral science, Cell biology 



OBJECTIVES : To determine if weightlessness retards the growth of the root and 

 shoot because of a modification of protein synthesis and the incorporation of 

 carbohydrates into cell wall constituents of the endosperm of the wheat 

 seedling. 



PROTOCOL : Seventy-eight wheat seeds weighing 38-39 mg were used in both the 

 flight package and Earth controls. The seeds were surface-sterilized in . 05% 

 HgClp and soaked for 3 hours in distilled water at 95 F. The seedlings were 

 placed in polycarbonate stalks containing wet vermiculite. Gas samples were 

 taken and the lids were sealed. All growth took place in the dark. 



EQUIPMENT : Experiment package. 



RESULTS : No significant differences were found in carbohydrate distribution, 

 starch, sucrose, glucose, total or protein nitrogen comparing endosperms of 

 the control and flight seedlings. 



CONCLUSIONS : The biochemical analyses of wheat seedling endosperms did not 

 reveal any differences in the concentrations of carbohydrates, amino acids, 

 and nitrogen fractions in the control and flight samples. It was postulated 

 that the orbital flight was not of sufficient duration to elicit a response. 



PUBLICATIONS : 302 



145 



