C. elegans is a tiny, transparent nematode worm that responds to space conditions in ways similar to ... [+] human responses.

Astronauts arent the only ones living on the International Space Station. There are lab rats in space, plants in space, and yes, there are worms in space too. Space worms!!

Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode worm, is used for studying biology in space because this worm shares many essential biological characteristics of human biology and is a common, well-studied organism used in biomedical research as a model for human development, genetics, aging and disease.

C. elegans starts out as a single cell just like us. It has a transparent body so its cells are visible with a microscope. These worms breathe air from the Space Station environment via a series of ventilation holes in their housing container. In just 2-3 weeks, they undergo a complex process of development, with embryonic cleavage, morphogenesis and growth into the adult. C. elegans has a nervous system with a 'brain', muscles and a gut. They produce sperm and eggs, and reproduce as hermaphrodites. These worms are also capable of rudimentary learning. After reproduction, the worms gradually age, lose vigor and finally die.

C. elegans is currently being used to investigate the effects of radiation and microgravity on muscle anatomy to understand the influence of spaceflight on muscle physiology. These investigations help researchers understand how the human body loses muscle mass while living in microgravity because loss of muscle mass and performance is a problem for astronauts on future human space exploration missions.

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There Are Worms In Space - Forbes