Animal Breeding - The Genetic Basis Of Animal Breeding, Economic Considerations, Modern Methods In Biotechnology, Artificial Insemination

Animal Breeding - The Genetic Basis Of Animal Breeding

Breeders engage in genetic "experiments" each time they plan a mating. The type of mating selected depends on the goals. To some breeders, determining which traits will appear in the offspring of a mating is like rolling the dice—a combination of luck and chance. For others, producing certain traits involves more skill than luck—the result of careful study and planning.…

Animal Breeding - Economic Considerations

There are many reasons why animal breeding is of paramount importance to those who use animals for their livelihood. Cats have been bred largely for aesthetic beauty; many people are willing to pay a great deal of money for a Siamese or Persian cat, even though the affection felt for a pet has little to do with physical appearance. But the most extensive animal breeding has occurred in those areas…

Animal Breeding - Modern Methods In Biotechnology

Animal Breeding - Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination is the artificial introduction of semen from a male with desirable traits into females of the species to produce pregnancy, and is useful because a far larger number of offspring can be produced than would be possible if the animals were traditionally bred. Because of this, the value of the male as breeding stock can be determined much more rapidly, and the use of many diff…

Animal Breeding - Embryo Manipulation

In order to understand the techniques of embryo manipulation, it is important to understand the early stages of reproduction. When the egg and sperm unite to form a zygote, each of the parents supply the zygote with half of the chromosomes necessary for a full set. The zygote, which is a single cell, then begins to reproduce itself by the cellular division process called mitosis, in which each chr…

Animal Breeding - Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is being implemented to create animals that have had a new gene inserted directly into their DNA. These animals are called transgenic. The procedure involves microinjection of the desired gene into the nucleus of fertilized eggs. It has been found that in many cases, but with varying rates of success, the new gene is reproduced in all developing cells, and the gene can be trans…

Animal Breeding - Sex Selection

It would be extremely useful if a breeder were able to predetermine the sex of each embryo produced, because in many cases one sex is preferred. For instance, in a herd of dairy cows or a flock of laying hens, females are the only commercially useful sex. When the owner of a dairy herd has inseminated a cow at some expense, this issue becomes more crucial. In some cases, an animal is being bred sp…