Compendium of Animal Reproduction, 10th Revised Edition
by Monika Ptaszynska
October 2009
Two regulatory systems govern the reproductive process in mammals. The endocrine system and the nervous system each has a specific role, and a subtle interplay between the two is essential for the cascade of events that results in the birth and successful rearing of healthy offspring. This text willprovide some basic theory about the way in which the reproductiveprocesses function, using a brief glimpse of what happens in thecow to illustrate the relationships between the different parts ofthe process. More detailed information about the reproductivecycle in cattle and other animals can be found in the chapterson the various species. Short sections at the end of this chapterdiscuss the endocrine process in the male, and some aspects ofseasonality.
