Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation of the genetic value of domestic livestock. Selecting animals for breeding with superior the genetic value in growth rate, egg, meat, milk, or wool production, or have other desirable traits has revolutionized agricultural livestock production throughout the world. This handbook include scientific theory of animal breeding; population genetics, quantitative genetics, statistics, and molecular genomics. The Applied Animal Breeding and Genetics handbook provides knowledge on the role and sustainable use of genetic variation in animals by providing knowledge to support the adequate supply of safe and healthy food of animal origin, and to enhance welfare and productivity of animals. The handbook combines quantitative and molecular genetics related to the biological functioning of animals. Also, describe genetic variation in farm and companion animals, and examines opportunities to use naturally occurring genetic variation in selection schemes.

Microbiology usually only refers to the study of prokaryotic organisms: Bacteria and Archaea. This disposition does not do justice to the enormous diversity of unicellular eukaryotes (= protists), and their direct multicellular descendants, the seaweeds. These organisms encompass an evolutionary and functional diversity which far exceeds that of plants, animals or Fungi, and play a crucial yet understudied (and hence undervalued) role in ecosystems. The organisms which will be dealt with in this book range from minute to super-sized and include some well-known examples such as Euglena, Paramecium and the green and brown algae we all know from the breakwaters on our coast, but also many parasites, causing important human diseases such as malaria and sleeping disease. It has been estimated that a single group of microalgae, the diatoms, is responsible for more than a quarter of the total primary production on earth, more than all the tropical rainforests of the world taken together. They form the basis of marine food webs which are becoming increasingly important for human subsistence.