Otolith adaptive responses to altered gravity

The force of gravity has remained constantly present over the course animal evolution and forms our frame reference with environment, including spatial orientation, navigation, gaze postural stability. Inertial head accelerations occur within this naturally during voluntary movements perturbations. Execution aquatic, terrestrial flight species widely differ, but sensory systems detecting acceleration forces, gravity, have remarkably conserved among vertebrates. utricular organ senses sum inertial due to translation tilt relative gravitational vertical. A sudden or persistent change in would be expected profound global effects on an organism. Physiological data collected immediately after orbital missions, short extended increases load via centrifugation, readaptation normal exist toadfish model. This review focuses otolith adaptive responses changes a number model organisms their potential impact human space travel.