microgravity

American  

[mahy-kroh-grav-i-tee] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌgræv ɪ ti /

noun

1. a condition, especially in space orbit, where the force of gravity is so weak that weightlessness results.

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microgravity British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌɡrævɪtɪ /

noun

1. the very low apparent gravity experienced in a spacecraft in earth orbit

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microgravity Scientific  

/ mī′krō-grăv′ĭ-tē /

1. A condition in which an object in the gravitational field of some other body (such as the Earth) is accelerated freely as a result of the gravitational force. Free-falling objects, such as a skydiver or a satellite orbiting the Earth, are in a condition of microgravity, while objects held up by forces resisting gravity (as in the case of objects resting on the Earth's surface) or held up by aerodynamic forces (as in the case of birds or aircraft) are not. Since the normal experience of weight on Earth is the result of forces that resist gravity, objects in microgravity appear weightless. Not all effects of gravity are eliminated in such conditions; tidal forces, for example, still affect bodies in microgravity, especially large bodies such as the Earth and the Moon.

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Etymology

Origin of microgravity

First recorded in 1980–85; micro- + gravity

Example Sentences

In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless "microgravity" conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria interactions differed from those observed on Earth.

From Science Daily

While virus-bacteria interactions have been studied extensively on Earth, microgravity conditions alter bacterial physiology and the physics of virus-bacteria collisions, disrupting typical interactions.

From Science Daily

However, few studies have explored the specifics of how phage-bacteria dynamics differ in microgravity.

From Science Daily

However, whole-genome sequencing revealed marked differences in both bacterial and viral genetic mutations between the Earth samples versus the microgravity samples.

From Science Daily

The researchers then applied a high-throughput technique known as deep mutational scanning to more closely examine changes in the T7 receptor binding protein, which plays a key role in infection, revealing further significant differences between microgravity versus Earth conditions.

From Science Daily