The Biological Efficiency of Protein Production

This 1973 volume reports the proceedings of a symposium held at the University of Reading in 1971. The main purpose of the symposium was to consider the relative biological efficiency of alternative methods of protein production by both plants and animals, at the level of tissue, the individual and the population, in a variety of environments. Although the main contributions deal with an agricultural framework, emphasis is placed on understanding the underlying biological processes. Introductory sections highlight the wide scope of the subject, the reasons for concern about protein production and the meanings that should be attached to the term biological efficiency. To provide further background to the discussions, economic and social aspects of protein production are considered. Since the primary intention was to achieve a synthesis of all the contributions, the book also contains the reports of discussion leaders who were invited to the guide.

Editor's preface; Foreword C. R. W. Spedding; Part I. Introduction: 1. The purpose of protein production K. L. Blaxter; 2. The meaning of biological efficiency C. R. W. Spedding; 3. Future demand for protein foods A. A. Woodham; 4. Factors affecting demand for protein products J. C. McKenzie; 5. Economics of protein production K. E. Hunt; Part II. The Biological Efficiency of Protein Production by Plants: 6. Biochemical aspects of the conversion of inorganic nitrogen into plant protein A. J. Keys; 7. The potential of cereal grain crops for protein production R. N. H. Whitehouse; 8. Plants as sources of unconventional protein foods N. W. Pirie; 9. Potential protein production of temperate grasses Th. Alberda; Discussion report J. P. Cooper and P. F. Wareing; Part III. The Biological Efficiency of Protein Production by Animals: 10. Considerations of the efficiency of amino acid and protein metabolism in animals P. J. Buttery and E. F. Annison; 11. Possibilities for changing by genetic means the biological efficiency of protein production by whole animals J. C. Bowman; 12. Factors affecting the efficiency of protein production by populations of animals R. V. Large; 13. The biological efficiency of protein production by animal production enterprises P. N. Wilson; Discussion report V. R. Fowler and C. C. Balch; Part IV. The Biological Efficiency of Protein Production by Ecosystems: 14. The biological efficiency of protein production by grazing and other land-based systems J. Phillipson; 15. The biological efficiency of protein production by stall-fed ruminants IT. Homb and D. C. Joshi; 16. Ecological factors affecting amounts of protein harvested from aquatic ecosystems H. A. Reiger; Discussion report G. Williams and P. A. Jewell; Part V. The Biological Efficiency of Industrial Systems of Protein Production: 17. Conversion of agricultural produce for use as human food F. Aylward and B. J. F. Hudson; 18. Aspects of protein production by unicellular organisms M. T. Heydeman; 19. Protein production by unicellular organisms from hydrocarbon substrates T. Walker; 20. Protein production by micro-organisms from carbohydrate substrates J. T. Worgan; Discussion report E. J. Rolfe and A. Spicer; List of participants; Index.

This 1973 volume reports the proceedings of a symposium held at the University of Reading in 1971. The symposium considered the relative biological efficiency of alternative methods of protein production by both plants and animals, at the level of tissue, the individual and the population, in a variety of environments.