Lactation and the Mammary Gland (PDF)

Michael Akers provides the basics for understanding mammary
development and lactation and conveys the critical regulatory
events in lactation. This text willl prove to be an invaluable
overview of mamorary development and lactation for undergraduates
and graduates studying lactation, new researchers, and as a review
for established scientists. Additionally, the book will be an
important resource for professionals in the animal and dairy
industry and for those in other scientific disciplines such as food
chemistry, cell biology, and endocrinology whose work is closely
tied to mammary gland development and function.

Lactation and the Mammary Gland covers growth and
development of the mammary gland including comparisons between
species. It imparts and emphasizes the critical nature of mammary
growth and the onset of lactation at the time of parturition.
Special emphasis is given to the endocrine and growth factor
regulation of both mammogenesis and lactogenesis. A thorough
discussion of the role of growth hormone in development and
maintenance of lactation or galactopoiesis adds to this book's
value as a text and reference. The author reviews the presence of
hormones, growth factors, and other bioactive compounds in milk and
mammary secretions as well as the potential for use of the mammary
gland as a bioreactor in the pharmaceutical industry. A description
of the nutritional and management factors in milk production round
out the book's comprehensive coverage.