The hormonal control of fat metabolism in animals.

Of the three main components of the adult animal, bone, skeletal muscle and fat, the fat depots have the most variable growth rate. Growth of adipose tissue depends on the coordinated increase in cell size (hypertrophy) and cell number (hyperplasia) in the fat tissues. The endocrine system will affect the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes within the adipocyte and will influence the partitioning of energy surplus to maintenance requirements between muscle and adipose tissue deposition and heat production. Much research effort has, therefore, been directed towards understanding the endocrine control systems to enable the partitioning of nutrients to be manipulated for more efficient meat production. Manipulation may be by selection of superior stock, by control of the type and amount of diet or by treatment with anabolic agents.