• Question: do our cells respond to gravity ,if so, how ?

    Asked by lmci to Amy, Karen, Sarah, Will on 20 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Sarah Martin

      Sarah Martin answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Hi Imci,

      Of course! I’m currently being pulled onto my chair by the gravity force that the planet Earth is exerting on all the cells in my body! That’s the biggest force around, because Earth is very heavy. But our cells are also attracted to each other through gravity – but only very very weakly, so that’s not what holds them together.

      🙂 Sarah

Comments

  • Photo: Karen

    Karen commented on :

    Hiya – great question and I can’t help chipping in even though I’m evicted 🙁

    But our body’s are set up to cope with gravity, and respond to the direction of the pull. We cope well with standing up when it takes that little bit extra effort to get the blook to our heads compared to our toes – but we can’t cope with being upside down for very long – we pass out within 10mins of being upside down. I know that here I’m talking whole body – but that only works by the immense co-operation of our cells!