Animal Biotechnology

VM 506

Lecture 2

Animal Biotech

• Animals provide a number of products we use in every day life.

– Milk

– Leather

– Wool

– Eggs

– Meat

Roles of Animals in Biotech

• Animals are involved in lab experiments.

• Without the use of animals humans might be in danger.

Animal Models

• 4 models apply for the use of animals.

– Living animals

– Living animal tissues or systems

– Non-Living systems

Animal Models

• Computer and Mathematical approaches

Living Animals

• These animals are living and usually have no threat to their well being.

• Such animals may be known as laboratory or scientific animals.

• Agricultural Research often uses experimental groups of animals.

Living animal tissues or systems

• Animal tissues can be cultured in a lab.

• This saves:– the use of animals as well as the expense of feeding,

housing, and cleaning up after the animals.

Non-Living Systems

• Involves using non living mechanical models that reflect animal activity.

• These often relate to skeletal movement and locomotion

• Artificial replacement parts, such as hip joints can be studied using non living systems.

Computer and mathematical approaches

• Computer simulations with virtual reality and other uses help in biotechnology.

• Computer modeling may be done with a propose

biotechnology practice before it is tested with animals.

Laboratory animals

• A laboratory animal is an animal used for laboratory or research purpose.

• Good tending is needed to assume that the research is properly carried out.

• Without research involving animals, scientists would not have a base.

Animal Species• Most animals are subjects of study at one time or

another.• Most common species used in research laboratories:

– mice,

– rats, and

– hamsters.

• A primate

Animal Reproduction

• Reproduction is a process by which offspring are produced.

• Sexual Reproduction is the union of a sperm and egg to ultimately produce a new individual.

• The union of the sperm and egg is called fertilization.

• Semen- the fluid produced by the male reproductive organs, contains sperm.

Animal Reproduction

• Copulation- is the sexual uniting of animals so the male can ejaculate semen near the eggs in the reproductive tract of the female.

Reproductive Development• Puberty-is the time at which an animal is capable of

reproduction.

• Fertilization- union of the sperm and egg results in the formation of a zygote

• Gestation- is the period of pregnancy in animals.

• Parturition- is the birthing process.

• Lactation- is the secretion of milk by the mammary glands.

Reproductive Development

• Dry time is a time when mammals are not lactating.

The Estrous Cycle

• Estrous is a time when a female is fertile and receptive to a male.

• The estrous cycle is the time between the estrous.

• The three periods in the estrous cycle that follow estrous are metestrus, diestrus, and proestrus.

Artificial Insemination• Artificial insemination is the transfer if collected semen to a

recipient female.

• It is used with sheep, beef cattle, turkeys, and swine.

• Generally female estrous cycles are regulated with hormone injections.

• Sperm are collected from males by artificially promoting ejaculation.

Gender Preselection

• Gender preselection is choosing the gender of a potential offspring.

• Gender preselection may be done by sorting sperm.

• The DNA content of sperm varies slightly based on the gender of the offspring that would result from conception.

Embryo Transfer• Embryo transfer is the harvesting of fertilized ova

from a donor and implanting them into a recipient.

• The harvested embyros are transferred to a recipient.

• Non surgical transfer involves flushing the embryos from the uterine horn.

Bovine Somatotropin• Bovine somatotropin is a natural occurring growth

hormone produced in the pituitary gland in the endocrine system.

• By treating dairy cattle with the hormone, milk

production is increased approximately 15%.

• Some small dairy producers do not use BST and incorporate that fact in their advertising.

•

Transgenic Animals and Products

• Pigs- have been used to manufacture human hemoglobin.

• A xenograft is the practice of grafting an organ or a tissue from one species into another.

Transgenic Animals and Products

• Mice- transgenetic mice have been used in several ways.

• One of the best known is to produce human antibodies.

• Cattle- are used to control disease such as mastitis in dairy cows.

Methods of creating transgenetic animals

• Step One- collect embryos

• With proper stimulation far more embryos can be obtained than would be the natural result of the reproductive process.

• Step Two- Inject embyros.

• A pro nucleus is the haploid nucleus of the sperm or ovum that have united in fertilization to form a zygote.

Methods of creating transgenetic animals

• Step Three- Zygote Culture

• The zygotes are placed in the oviduct of a recipient female.