Bovine somatotropin (BST), also known as bovine growth hormone (BGH), is a hormonal product that is part of the natural process of lactation in cows. Since the 1930s, the injection of natural BGH has been used sporadically in dairy cattle to increase lactation rates to meet consumer demands for milk and other dairy products. In the 1980s, it was found that BGH could be produced synthetically, making it more readily available. This BST is referred to as rBST, or recombinant BST—reference to the recombinant DNA or genetic engineering technology used to produce it. Similarly, rBGH is used to refer to recombinant BGH. (The two terms are interchangeable.) This was one of the first uses of molecular genetic engineering, although an artificial rennet used in the ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles