Date of Award

Summer 1974

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

de Vlaming, Victor

Second Advisor

Piacsek, Bela E.

Third Advisor

Krishnakumaran, Alapati

Abstract

Very little is known concerning the endocrine regulation of lipid metabolism in teleost fishes. Since lipids serve as an important source of energy reserves in fishes as well as other animals, it is important to understand the physiology of lipid metabolism. The survival of any species in a seasonally unstable environment depends on the development of mechanisms that permit it to adjust physiological functions to changes in that environment. Thus, physiological processes require precise regulation and integration so that animals can meet the demands of daily and seasonal variations in their environment. Fat reserves accumulated in seasons where food availability is high provide energy for sustaining physiological activity when food availability is low. Since energy is a limiting factor in the environment, animals must coordinate and balance internal events with available food so that a negative energy balance does not develop. It is thus important to examine how the process of fattening is coordinated and integrated by the animal; it is likely that the endocrine system plays a primary role in regulating this process. This thesis will investigate the effects of two hormones, insulin and prolactin, on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the cyprinid teleost Notemigonus chrysoleucas .

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