Bat Blood Could be The Missing Link for Space Travel to Mars.

In their new study, the researchers analyzed the blood cells of several bat species and humans to understand the role these cells play in keeping mammals alive during extended periods of hibernation. The results showed that the cells of these species become non-elastic and sticky when the temperature drops, but while human cells do not change further with a decrease in body temperature, bat cells continue to adapt as the temperature drops, allowing them to better enter hibernation.

Studying bat blood for human hibernation: Hibernation is a biological strategy for many mammals that allows them to conserve energy and survive when food sources are scarce. If humans wish to travel to distant planets, they must adopt this strategy, as even at near-light speeds, space travel could take several decades.

Now, a new study has examined the role of red blood cells in the hibernation process. Researchers analyzed the red blood cells of several bat species and human blood. Understanding how these blood cells adapt to hibernation is crucial because hibernating animals still need an active blood supply to deliver oxygen to their tissues, even when their body temperature drops significantly.

As the internal body temperature of bats and humans decreased from 37°C to around 22°C, the structure of red blood cells in all species studied changed significantly: the cells became less elastic and stickier, indicating a physiological adaptation to conserve energy in cold conditions. However, bat red blood cells continued to change shape as the temperature dropped by another 10°C, whereas human blood cells did not show further changes in response to the lower temperatures.

This suggests that bats have a unique adaptation that allows them to withstand extreme cold, which could potentially be applied to humans. The findings of this study also have applications for developing new medicines, for example, using these mechanisms to halt brain activity during certain surgeries.