Animal Sciences: The Biology, Care, and Production of Domestic Animals - Hardcover

The fourth edition of ANIMAL SCIENCES: The Biology, Care, and Production of Domestic Animals (formerly titled The Science of Animals That Serve Humanity) includes three new chapters: 'Companion Animals', 'Aquaculture', and 'State of Being of Domestic Animals'. All chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated by disciplinary experts to include recent scientific advances in the animal sciences.
Important new materials include the life cycles of food-producing animals, retail cuts of meat, food safety, recent exciting applications of technology in reproductive physiology, new discussions of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, as well as Cat Scratch and Lyme diseases.
Each chapter (and even each major section in most chapters) stands on its own. This enables teachers to arrange topics for study in keeping with their preferred course outlines. And, since the book includes more than can be covered in most introductory courses, much of the material will be useful in upper-level courses taught in the various disciplines of animal science.
More than 350 illustrations aid in comprehending scientific concepts as well as adding to reading pleasure. Included are full-color pages of breeds of horses, cats, and dogs plus full-color pages of retail cuts of meats (beef, lamb, pork, and veal).
To better understand materials presented, a glossary has been included (Glossary words/terms are set in boldface type the first time they appear in a particular chapter.) Study questions are provided at the end of each chapter so students can test their knowledge and understanding of the materials presented.
The initial chapter presents materials related to the history and important economic aspects of animal agriculture in the United States and the world.
The second chapter highlights breeds and life cycles of livestock and poultry. In subsequent chapters information pertaining to the nutritional contributions of animal products to humans; food preservation and safety; and the principles of animal genetics, anatomy, and physiology are presented. Included are the principles of digestion, growth, senescence, lactation, egg laying, reproduction, ecology, and stress responses of animals. Other materials related to animal disease and public health, parasites of importance to domestic animals, insects and their biological control, and ethology/animal behavior are included. Because of the increasing interest in horses major revisions have been made in that chapter.
A website will be available for instructors and students. It will provide material that supplements the text including: PowerPoints, chapter summaries, and web links.
New to this edition is a section about Grading Animal Products.