[Thyroid gland development in Japanese quail embryos incubating in microgravity].
The investigation of the progress of thyroid prenatal development in the Japanese quail has been first performed in the MIR microgravity environment. Development of thyroid glands in control and flight embryos was shown to pass same stages (trabecular and follicular). However, the flight embryos demonstrated retarded a development of the gland as compared to the control one. Slowing-down of thyroid organogenesis in the flight embryos is evidently related to retardation in formation of their blood system and a consequent decrease in blood inflow to the thyroid microcirculatory bed.