As humans have ascended to higher and higher  altitudes in aviation, mountain climbing, and space vehicles, it has become progressively more important to understand the effects of altitude and low gas pressures on the human body. This chapter deals with these problems, as well as acceleratory forces, weightlessness, and other challenges to body homeostasis that occur at high altitude and in space flight.

• Effects of Low Oxygen Pressure  on the Body
• acute effects of hypoxia
• aclimatization to low O2
• natural aclimatization of people living on high altitude
• acute and chronic mountain sickness