Lactation and especially milk, which is the product of that unique mammalian process, are routinely encountered within our daily lives. Nevertheless, they often are poorly understood by many, even including many who are engaged in the business of producing milk. The overall course goal is to introduce fundamental concepts that form the basis for understanding the biology of lactation, the biology of the mammary gland, and the products of that important physiological process. As a learner in this course, you will be provided with a series of easily understood presentations that collectively will help you build a foundation for greater understanding of lactation. You will be able to engage with other learners so that you can extend your learning beyond the video presentations. Ultimately, you will be able to construct your own mental model for understanding the wide range of topics that relate to the biology of lactation. Upon completion of the course, you will be prepared to expand your knowledge and understanding of lactation from other sources and experiences as you pursue your individual interests. Before you start the course, I suggest that you identify a question or several questions about lactation that you already have on your mind. This could be from your own experiences, something you read about or saw, or something you have wondered about. Write down your question(s) and use that to help you decide how to engage with the content of this course. You might engage with the modules in the order they are presented, or start with a module that is of particular interest to you, or pick and choose modules in any order. I encourage you to engage in all of the types of learning activities that this course has to offer, including but not limited to, the discussion forums, quizzes, peer-review assignments, and concept maps and other learning aids.
Mammals
审阅
In this module, we will introduce some basic definitions of terms related to the biology of lactation, provide an overview of milk, and briefly introduce the phylogenetic organization and evolution of mammals. Learning the definitions will be important for establishing a baseline vocabulary that will help reduce confusion about topics presented in subsequent videos. Milk, a primary product of the lactation process, will be introduced in an effort to provide a foundation for later modules in which milk and milk composition are explored in greater depth. The series of videos about mammals collectively offer a brief overview of the wide spectrum of these animal species, as well as some thoughts on how lactation came to be an integral part of the reproductive strategy of those species.
教学方
Dr. Walter Hurley, PhD
Professor Emeritus
