VOA慢速英语--美国宇航局将鱿鱼从夏威夷送入太空进行研究

Some 128 baby squid from Hawaii are in space for a study.

The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid came from the University of Hawaii's Kewalo Marine¹ Laboratory. They rode on a SpaceX spacecraft along with thousands of kilos of supplies for the International Space Station on June 3.

Jamie Foster is conducting the study as a researcher and doctoral student at the University of Hawaii under Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspapers reported that she studied how spaceflight affects the squid. The research, started in 1989, can help scientists learn about human health during long trips in space.

Squid have a relationship with natural bacteria that help control their bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is when plants and animals naturally give off light.

McFall-Ngai is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She said when astronauts are in low gravity, their bodies' relationship with microbes changes. Microbes, or microscopic² organisms, are very important to the human body and health.

The relationship "of humans with their microbes is perturbed⁴ in microgravity, and Jamie has shown that [it] is true in squid," said McFall-Ngai. "And, because it's a simple system, she can get to the bottom of what's going wrong."

Foster is now a professor at the University of Florida. She also works at a NASA space agency program that researches how microgravity affects the relationships between animals and microbes.

"As astronauts spend more and more time in space, their immune systems become what's called dysregulated. It doesn't function as well," Foster said. "Their immune systems don't recognize bacteria as easily. They sometimes get sick."

Foster said understanding what happens to the squid in space could help solve health problems that astronauts face.

She said the immune system does not work properly on long spaceflights. "If humans want to spend time on the moon or Mars, we have to solve health problems to get them there safely."

The Kewalo Marine Laboratory raises the squid for research projects around the world. They are about 7.6 centimeters long. There are plenty of these tiny animals in Hawaiian waters.

The squid will come back to Earth in July.

Words in This Story

doctoral — adj. of or relating to the highest degree that is given by a university

perturb³ — v. to cause (someone) to be worried or upset

immune system — n. the system that protects your body from diseases and infections

dysregulation — n. weakness or damage in the regulation of a metabolic⁵, physiological⁶, or psychological process.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

3 perturb   

v.使不安，烦扰，扰乱，使紊乱

参考例句：

• Stellar passings can perturb the orbits of comets.行星的运行会使彗星的轨道发生扰动。
• They perturb good social order with their lie and propaganda.他们以谎言和宣传扰乱良好的社会秩序。

4 perturbed   

adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。

6 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。