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Reveal the Complex Biology of Animals

The study of animal biology requires the unification of many enquiries focused in genetics, ecology, and physiology so that the complexities of life can be appreciated at all levels – molecule, cell, organ, organ system, organism, population, and community.

At any one time, thousands of processes are ongoing in any one animal. These processes define development, growth, metabolism, reproduction, movement, and even response to environmental stressors be they infectious agent or change in habitat and food web, for example. A knowledge of these processes will help us to better understand how animals are born, grow, move, reproduce, and basically thrive as individuals, in populations, and in communities. A knowledge of these processes will help us to discern how when any process is faulty or dysfunctional there are deficiencies that can impact an individual animal or species. Insight into these processes will help us to determine how to help species succeed or recover.

In Animal Science, we examine the biology of animals from multiple approaches to understand how animals live and grow, thrive and procreate, and adapt, evolve, or die. We consider the biological processes of wild, captive, and domesticated species, and oftentimes compare amongst them to understand what makes any one species so successful. We consider how changes in inter-connected systems impact animals from the community level down to the individually inherited nucleotide. We use this knowledge to help make decisions that improve animal well-being and that strengthen strategies for sustainable animal production and management.

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