Author
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Lay Jr, Donald |
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Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 3/5/2010 Publication Date: 7/11/2010 Citation: Lay Jr, D.C. 2010. Even Her Uterus Can’t Protect You. Stress in Life: A Multi-Species Review [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 88:777(Suppl. 2). Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: All environments can pose challenges to animals which cause stress, which they meet by making behavioral and physiologic adjustments. These adjustments include behavioral responses of fighting or hiding; and physiologic adjustments which include such processes such as regulation of blood glucose, altered cardiac responses and others that help the animal to react to the stress and to bring the body back to its normal state. However, when this occurs to animals which have developing ova, are pregnant, or caring for young; there is a potential for the stress to also influence the development of these individuals. Although the literature is not always consistent in how the individuals are affected, alterations due to early exposure to stress have been shown in mice, guinea pigs, poultry, swine, sheep, cattle, horses and humans, to name a few. It is clear that stress during these early developmental stages can alter how the animals respond to stressors later in life, with changes seen in both their behavior and physiology responses to stressors. The observation that stress can alter the later responses of so many species of animals is profound. In addition, the fact that exposure to stress can have deleterious effects to all the livestock and poultry species which we raise, necessitates our complete understanding. It also may provide a mechanism with which we could facilitate animal’s adaptation to environments in which they will be house in the future. |
