Animal Growth Regulation

The biotechnological advances of recent years have put us on the brink of unprecedented gains in animal productivity. Manipulation of animal growth rate and composition of gain is now possible by a variety of techniques. Ex amples include ingestion of beta-adrenergic agonists, injection of somatotropin, castration, immunization, and gene insertion. Animal Growth Regulation ad dresses modem concepts of growth regulation with an emphasis on agricul turally important animals. This emphasis is not exclusive, as many situations exist in which the only information available was generated in other species, and this information has been included for the sake of clarity and completeness. However, because of the overall orientation of this volume, particular attention has been given to the regulation of skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and bone growth. Certain hormones and growth factors have a profound influence on growth regulation and this basic physiological knowledge is being harnessed to maniplilate growth. Thus, considerable emphasis has been given to growth hor mone-somatomedinlinsulinlike growth factor regulation of cell and tissue growth. The involvement of peptides coded by protooncogenes and of negative growth regulators, such as transforming growth factor-l3, represents an emerging area of molecular biology wherein basic knowledge offers potential exploitation for growth manipulation. Opportunities also exist for regulation of protein turn over, especially from the standpoint of protein degradation. Therefore, a place was reserved for these topics in order to provide relevant basic knowledge.

Control and Manipulation of Animal Growth explores the development and growth of animals. The reproductive system of animals is also discussed, along with how its development can be accelerated. The topic is presented using various studies by the authors together with a number of references to other books and studies. This book contains 20 chapters and revolves around the advancement of an animal's growth hormone. It explains how gender plays a part in an animal's development and talks about factors that can affect the process, such as environment, temperature, and food intake. This book also discusses bone growth, fetal growth, metabolism, factors of epidermal growth, growth manipulation, growth hormones, hormonal manipulation, and the effect of insulin. This text covers a wide range of facts and investigations and can therefore serve as an excellent reference for people who want to study an animal's internal and external development.

This book describes the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control farm animal growth, includingdevelopment and body composition. The emphasis is on circulating hormones, local growth factors andgene transcription factors which regulate growth and differentiation of skeletal muscle, bone andadipose tissue. Overall, this book will be an important resource for students that have a limitedbackground in cell, molecular and developmental biology and the effect of endocrine and growthfactors on the growth process.

Biotechnology in Growth Regulation focuses on mechanisms of action of growth hormones and how immunological and transgenic procedures can affect growth response. The book first examines species specificity and structure-function relationship of growth hormones. Microheterogeneity of growth hormones; variations in amino acid sequence and biological properties of growth hormones; and structure-function relationship are discussed. The text also looks at growth hormone receptors and binding proteins; regulation of growth hormone receptors; modulations of growth hormone release; and neuroregulation of growth hormone secretion. The book then discusses the role of growth hormones in the regulation of adipocyte growth and function. Chronic effects of growth hormones on insulin action and lipid synthesis; effects of growth hormones on lipolysis; and adipogenesis are also described. The text looks at growth-promoting properties of recombinant growth hormones and mechanisms by which porcine growth hormone enhances growth in pigs. The book also highlights the direct effects of growth hormones on osteogenesis and chondrogenesis; action of IGF-I on mammary function; antigen-antibody complexes that enhance growth; and transgenics. The text also presents experiments that show the effects of growth hormones on animals. The book is a good source of information for readers wanting to study growth hormones.