Basic principles of nuclear techniques and applications in livestock production

It is known. that many of the advances which have been made in improving feeding, fertility and health livestock developed countries would not possible without nuclear tech-niques. Nuclear techniques used by scientists to study understand those biological processes are responsible for growth, reproduction disease resistance animals. Tracer tech-niques based on isotopes tagging feed constituents, amino acids other metabolites, whereby their fate .can be fol-lowed within digestive system parts body. This forms an integral part armoury animal nutritionists establish nutri-tional value all materials potentially available The development use highly sensi­tive immunoassay methods, measure minute quantities. reproductive hormones blood enables us determine when. animals ready- breeding, check whether inseminated at correct time, diagnose pregnancy early enough, devise corrective measures disorders improve efficiency artificial insemination embryo transfer programmes. Radioisotopic methods immune system. examine infec­tious agents how they Stimulate this system, develop specific sensitive veterinary vaccines diagnostic tests.