Factors Affecting Animal Growth

Animals are essential living beings and parts of human ecosystem. From human usage to keeping the ecosystem lifecycles balanced, animals have a significant role to play. Therefore, animal protection and preservation are the utmost important issues faced by the world today. As the world is moving faster towards industrialization and digital technology, different species of animals including birds, cattle animals, mammals, reptiles are jeopardized. Other than these the consumption of animals by human on a large scale is also an important aspect that affects the growth or population of animals.

As stated in Lawrie’s research (1991)--the animal grows in two phases, the first one is called growth i.e. when it increases in weight until he becomes complete adult or matured. The second phase is known as development i.e. when its body transforms in shapes, functions and hormonal changes.

An animal takes years to adult and breed further which makes it important to preserve more before they go endangered. Therefore, it is important to understand the growth processes of animals as different biotic and abiotic factor causes disruption in the processes. There are several factors that influence the animal growth or population such as nutrition, natural processes, genetics, environmental factors, parasitism and competitive living etc.

Some of the factors affecting animal growth may include:

• Environmental Factor: With the climate change throughout the globe, the weather extreme conditions has greatly affected the growth of animals. In case of cattle animals the moderate or cold temperatures prolong the body development process because of their constant optimal body temperatures. They regulate heat through insulation of fur and heavy skin. However, static magnetic fields may retard their growths.
• Nutritional Factors: Because of the increased animal consumption rate. People are injected animals with artificial chemicals and protein diets that is affected normal growth rate in animals to great extent. It has great and adversely affected the animals’ normal life processes including late pregnancy, lactation, non-lactating periods and poor maintenance.
• Genetic Factors: Several genetic disorders like dwarfism or double masculine disorder tends to retard the normal growth of animals. These are some of the most common disorder found in animals that stop their growth before reaching to the fullest mature adult.
• Human consumption: Human consumption over the time have been increased. Not only mammals but also sea life is not safe from this problem. Either consuming them or targeting them with bullet and pistols for the sake of their fun. Human consumption is another biggest issue that restricts the animal growth and extinct some of the most precious species.  
• Commercial purpose: With the demanding need of lavishing lifestyles. People have made it their business to preserve meat of different animals and sell them in high price. With the increased consumer demand, the animals have become the target of commercial use. The shopkeeper do not let the animals get to their adult level or treat them with such chemicals for quick growth that damages their health.

Animal growth has become a significant issue around the world. Different scientific and artificial factors affects the growth rate of animals. With the awareness about animal, medical researchers are being conducted to investigate such conditions. Therefore, students may also take Academic Help to get vast information on this subject and research for ways to prevent this issue.