Animal Anatomy And Physiology (Animal Husbandry I )
| Course Code | BAG101 |
|---|
| Fee Code | S2 |
|---|
| Number of Assignments | 11 |
|---|
| Duration (approx) | 100 hours |
|---|
Course Content
There are 11 lessons as follows:
- Introduction, Cells & Tissues
- The Digestive System
- The Circulatory System
- The Urinary System
- The Nervous System
- Respiration
- TheReproductive System
- Muscles & Meat
- The Skeleton
- Animal Growth, Development & The Endocrine System
- Comparing Different Animals
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
- Differentiate and describe the basic structure and function of cells and tissues of animals.
- Explain the digestive system, in terms of both structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the circulatory systems, in terms of both structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the urinary system, in terms of structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the nervous system, in terms of structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the respiratory system, in terms of structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the reproductive system, including structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the skeletal system, in terms of structure and function of animals.
- Explain the biological mechanisms underlying the growth and development of specified animal species.
- Explain the endocrine system, in terms of structure and function, of animals.
- Explain the muscular system, including the structure, function, and meat quality of animals.
- Explain the differences between various types of farm animals, in terms of structure and function.
- Explain the nature of animals in the primary production industry, with specific reference to your locality.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
- Identify parts of an animal cell on an unlabelled diagram.
- Describe the major features of a living animal cell, including structure and function.
- Describe one example, of cell interaction in live animals.
- Describe the cell functions for three different types of cells in animals.
- Differentiate between the cellular composition, using illustrations, of animal tissues.
- Explain the functions of four different animal tissue types.
- Describe the processes of nutrient and waste exchange in animal cells.
- Label a diagram of the digestive system of three different animals.
- Describe the processes occurring in digestion, in each section of the digestive system.
- Compare the digestive systems of different farm animals.
- Describe the action of enzymes and micro-organisms in animal digestion.
- Explain the role of accessory organs, including: *the liver *the pancreas.
- Explain the components of blood in animals.
- Explain the biological functions of blood in animals.
- Label on unlabelled illustrations, the parts of the circulatory system in a chosen farm animal.
- Explain the structure of an artery by illustrating and labelling a diagram of it's five layers.
- Distinguish the characteristics of the various types of blood vessels in animals.
- Explain the role of the lymphatic system in a specified farm animal.
- Dissect an animal heart, and identify the parts of the heart on a photograph or the dissection.
- Label on an unlabelled diagram, the parts of the urinary system of an animal.
- Explain the role of the urinary system farm animals, including comments on urinary malfunction.
- Describe the operation of the various parts of the urinary system, in a specified farm animal.
- Describe the different components of the nervous systems of animals.
- Distinguish between the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.
- Explain the function of the autonomic nervous system in an animal.
- Describe, using labelled illustrations and a report, the structure of the sensory organs.
- Explain the function of the sensory organs.
- Describe components of the respiratory system of animals.
- Explain the purpose of the respiratory system in animals.
- Explain the means by which the respiratory system functions in animals.
- Describe the process of gaseous exchange between the alveolus and capillaries.
- Explain the means by which the rate of breathing is controlled in animals.
- Label unlabelled diagrams of the male and female reproductive systems of a farm animal species.
- Describe the function of each of the components of the male reproductive system.
- Explain the physiological processes in the male reproductive system.
- Explain the different fertility problems occurring in a chosen male farm animal species.
- Describe the function of components of the female reproductive system.
- Explain the physiological processes in the female reproductive system.
- Explain various fertility problems in a chosen female farm animal species.
- Explain two different 'difficult birth' conditions encountered in farm animals.
- Explain the role of the skeletal system in an animal.
- Label different skeletal parts on a series of unlabelled diagrams.
- Distinguish, on labelled sketches, between samples of five different types of bones.
- Describe the anatomy of a typical long bone in animals.
- Explain how bone is formed in an animal.
- Explain the operation of a freely moving skeletal joint, in an animal.
- Differentiate, using illustrations, between types of bone fractures in farm animals, including: simple breaks and compound fractures.
- Describe, using illustrations and a report, the healing process for the different types of fractures.
- Explain the cellular processes of growth and development of specified animal species.
- Describe pre-natal and post-natal growth processes in a specified farm animal.
- List the factors which influence the size of newborn animals.
- List the factors which influence growth after birth.
- List the components of the endocrine system in a chosen animal species.
- Distinguish between different endocrine glands, for the specified animal, by location, appearance and function.
- Describe five hormones found in farm animals, including for each their: *source *sites of activity *modes of activity *metabolism within the body.
- Explain the role of the endocrine system in animals.
- Distinguish between the photographs of 3 different muscle types, including: *smooth muscle *cardiac muscle *striated muscle.
- Compare the function of the three types of muscle.
- Describe the components of the musculatory system of a specified farm animal.
- Explain the relationship between meat quality and muscle development.
- Identify, on unlabelled illustrations, the cuts and joints of meat derived from sheep, cattle and pigs.
- Prepare a table/chart on an A3 sheet of paper which shows characteristics that distinguish mammals from poultry, fish, crustaceans (e.g. yabbies); in terms of each of the main regulatory systems (to include: circulatory, digestive, skeletal, muscular, reproductive and nervous systems).
- Differentiate between the structural and physiological characteristics of two farm animal genera from the same taxonomic class.
- Distinguish between the major animal types used in primary production, including: *birds *fish *ruminants *non-ruminants.
- List the different types of products produced commercially from various types of farm animals, including: *cattle *sheep *poultry *pigs *aquaculture.
- Explain the role of pastures for animal husbandry, in your locality.
- Report on the scope of farm animal production, in your locality.
Extract from Course Notes:
LIVESTOCK CLASSES
Farm livestock are divided into two broad classes; those that are ruminants, and those that are non-ruminants. Cattle, sheep, goats, and deer are ruminants, their natural food being grass. Pigs, poultry, horses and rabbits are non-ruminants. Pigs and poultry eat mainly cereals. Horses and rabbits eat both grass and cereals.
The role of ruminants in farming is to convert grass or pasture into human food such as meat or milk. Grass is not a human food, and were it not for the ruminant animals, the large areas of the world which are covered in grass would be useless to man. The ruminant converts this grass into human food, which is particularly valuable because it is very high in protein; and this is done reasonably quickly and efficiently.
Non-ruminants, on the other hand, are chiefly used to convert the starchy, high carbohydrate foods such as cereals into high protein food. The problem is that the cereals fed to pigs and poultry are themselves human foods, and the conversion of these foods into high protein meat and eggs is not a very efficient process.
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS
The following list shows which products come from different livestock:
Cattle ................................ milk and beef
Sheep ............................... lamb, mutton, wool and milk
Goats ............................... milk, meat and coat
Deer ................................. meat (venison)
Pigs .................................. meat
Poultry ............................. eggs and meat
Rabbits ............................. meat and fur
Horses are kept for working and riding, although in some countries they are used for meat, particularly when they have come to the end of their useful lives.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF LIVESTOCK AND CROPS
Farm animals are found throughout the world, and most farms keep some form of animal. Their roles vary greatly; on some farms they play a major part in the farming pattern, producing most or all of the farm income, while on other farms they are just kept as a sideline or to provide meat and milk for the household. Farms animals can often perform work roles such as ploughing, carrying, or pulling in the case of larger animals, and weed/pest control in the case of smaller animals (eg. poultry).
Throughout the world, animals of one sort or another are found on most farms. In areas of low and unreliable rainfall, animals are the only source of income for the farmer. In areas where there is enough rainfall, animals are integrated with crops. They can be put on parts of the farm that would not support crops and can use up crop residues. Animal manure can also be used to boost the soil fertility and so improve crop performances.
You should realise one very important point and that is that profit margins from livestock are not as great as those from crops. This applies in most countries and particularly in this country. Unless the farmer applies the maximum efficiency to his enterprise, livestock farming can easily become unprofitable.
An efficient, successful livestock farmer is one who is in full control of his animals, knows what makes them profitable, and knows how to adapt to changing conditions and costs. He should know which animals are best suited to the conditions on his farm and the most beneficial and economical ways of feeding them.
The farmer should be aware of the common diseases, the symptoms that tell him an animal is sick and, above all, be prepared to spend time looking after his animals. Most sickness can be successfully treated if it is detected early enough but, if treatment is neglected, the animal can easily die and dead animals are worth nothing as well as possibly infecting the rest of the herd.
The farmer should know exactly how many animals are on the farm, where they are, what they are being fed on and who is in charge of them. As in all aspects of farming, attention to detail is the secret of success.
In the same way that a motor mechanic must have a good working knowledge of engines, so the livestock farmer must have a good idea of the internal workings of his animals. Structure (anatomy) deals with the different parts of the animal body such as cells, tissues, bone, and muscle. Function (physiology) covers the different systems that are at work in animal bodies such as digestive systems and reproductive systems. Structure is also known as anatomy, while function is called physiology – these terms are sometimes used inter changeably.
Develop a sound foundation knowledge of animal anatomy and physiology, as a basis to understanding care and/or management of animals in domesticated or wild situations.
This is the starting point for working with animals in any situation (farms, pets, zoos, wildlife, animal protection, etc)