Transgenic Animals in Agriculture

Description

Transgenic animals are routinely used in the laboratory as models in biomedical research. Over 95 per cent of those used are genetically modified rodents, predominantly mice. They are important tools for researching human disease, being used to understand gene function in the context of disease susceptibility, progression and to determine responses to a therapeutic intervention. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. The history of agriculture dates back thousands of years, and its development has been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies. Industrial agriculture based on large-scale monoculture farming has become the dominant agricultural methodology. The book is essential reading for research workers in animal genetics, breeding and biotechnology.