Summary The place of animals and animal science in the lives of humans

Animals. We live with them, worship them, consume them, admire them, fear them, love them, care for them, and depend on them. They are part of our sustenance, our sociology, and our day-to-day lives. Because they are so important to us, we also study them and apply what we learn to improve their lives and enhance their roles in our lives. The branch of science that deals with domestic animals is animal science, which is the topic of this book. Much of our use for animals revolves around their contributions to our food supply. To coax a more stable food supply from the land, humans developed a complicated resource management system called agriculture. In agriculture, domestic plants and animals are kept to produce for humankind’s needs. Humans have practiced agriculture for thousands of years and, either directly or indirectly, every person on the planet depends on agriculture for his or her daily food (Figure 1-1). Because this is true, it is also ultimately true that all of humankind’s other occupations are tied to agriculture. This is especially the case in the world’s developed countries. In fact, the entire urban industrial complex of the developed world is sustained only because of food surpluses generated by agriculturists.