Space-exposed seed experiment developed for students
The SEEDS project was flown in orbit aboard the Long Duration Exposure (LDEF) for nearly six years. During this time in space, the tomato seeds received an enormously abundant supply of cosmic radiation. Upon the return of the LDEF to earth, the SEEDS project was distributed throughout the United States and 30 foreign countries for analysis. The purpose of the experiment was to determine the long term effects of cosmic rays on living tissue. At Morgan, the analysis performed varied from germination and growth rates to electron microscopy and x ray analysis.In analyzing the seeds under the electron microscope, usual observations were performed on the nutritional and epidermic layers of the seed. These layers appeared to be more porous in the space-exposed seeds than in the Earth-based control seeds. This unusual characteristic may explain the increase in the space seeds’ growth pattern. (Several test results show that the space-exposed seeds germinate sooner than the Earth-based seeds. Also, the space exposed seeds are growing at a faster rate.) The porous nutritional region may allow the the seeds to receive necessary nutrients and liquids more readily. Thus, enabling the plant to grow at a much faster rate.