Modification of performance traits, Biology

Assignment Help:

Modification of performance traits

Modifications to livestock that could influence traits such as growth rate, feed efficiency and meat quality are major goals for livestock breeding in agriculture. Mice in which the myostatin gene has been knocked out have considerably more skeletal muscle than wild type controls. The double-muscle phenotype of some breeds of cattle is caused by natural mutations of this gene and these are widely bred in Europe for improved meat quality. Knockout of this gene in sheep or pigs could produce animals with increased skeletal muscle mass and improved meat quality, although there are clearly major ethical issues relating to animal welfare that would have to be considered if these types of animal were generated.

Other areas of transgenic applications in animal agriculture include modifying milk composition to increase milk proteins, to decrease milk fat or to change milk composition to provide a source of milk for lactose-intolerant individuals or to provide a source of milk that is more efficiently processed into cheese. An area that definitely needs more exploration is the use of the chicken oviduct as a bioreactor. This approach has numerous advantages over the transgenic mammary gland. To name a few, the ease of collecting the product, short generation times, quantity, safety and low costs are unmatched by the traditional approach of transgenic milk. However, this system is still in its infancy because micromanipulation of the chicken embryo is very difficult, and transgenic chickens are often mosaics. It is also possible that the best protein expression levels will be obtained when multiple copies of transgene integrate into a particular favourable chromosomal locus. Cloning will greatly reduce timeliness to get therapeutic products to the market by producing large number of genetically identical transgenic livestock animals in the first generation.


Related Discussions:- Modification of performance traits

What is enzyme proteins, Enzyme  Proteins   that act  as  catalysts, speed...

Enzyme  Proteins   that act  as  catalysts, speeding the rate  at  which biochemical reactions proceed but not altering the direction or nature of the reactions.

Define essential parts of photocolorimeter - light source, Define Essential...

Define Essential Parts of Photocolorimeter - Light Source? The light source is usually a tungsten lamp, for wavelength in the visible range (320-700 nm) and a deuterium or hydr

What is the water cycle, What is the water cycle? The water cycle repre...

What is the water cycle? The water cycle represents the circulation and recycling of water in nature. Liquid water on the planet surface is heated by the sun and turns into

Simple precautions to prevent injuries, When resheathing needles, simple pr...

When resheathing needles, simple precautions to prevent injuries are to: 1. use only one hand to scoop the cap 2. hold the sheath with a hemostat (suggested but will require

Write a monovalent and divalent example, What is the positive atom referred...

What is the positive atom referred to in ionic bonds and write a monovalent and divalent example.

Define percentages of body fat values for athletes, Define Percentages of b...

Define Percentages of body fat values for athletes? Percentages of body fat values for athletes vary depending on the sex of the athlete and the sport itself. Male athletes par

Explain about rheumatic heart disease, Q. Explain about Rheumatic Heart Dis...

Q. Explain about Rheumatic Heart Disease? Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is a very common cause of cardiovascular disorder in children and adolescents in India. This disease inv

Explain the steps for injecting insulin injection, Explain the Steps for In...

Explain the Steps for Injecting Insulin Injection It is important to teach patient to take injections at regular times, 30 to 60 minutes before meals. Take insulin everyday, ev

Determine reagents for determination of protein content, Determine Reagents...

Determine Reagents for Determination of Protein Content Using Biuret Method? Collect the following reagents to conduct the experiment: 1. 0.2 N NaOH solution - Dissolve 8 g

Explain about aerobic respiration, Which is the cell organelle that is spec...

Which is the cell organelle that is specialized in aerobic respiration? The cell organelles that are specialized in aerobic respiration are the mitochondria. Cell Respiratio

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd