Interesting Discovery Channel clip

[SplitDik (imported)]

This focuses on how castrati's bone growth was affected. Aparently it is the lack of the aromatized estrogen, not the testosterone itself, that causes the problem.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discove ... -video.htm

[Sweetpickle (imported)]

That seems to be at odds with what we hear here.

Giant castrated guys?? Mutants ?

[kristoff]

That seems to be at odds with what we hear here.

Giant castrated guys?? Mutants ?

Not at all at odds with what we hear here. Of course, there does come a point when growth stops. And of course, the reference is to pre-pubertal castrati. Those who have been post pubertal castrates often have reached their growth plateau, so the issue of growth zones no longer applies...

[devi (imported)]

The whole reason for supplementing estradiol to bovine steers is so that they will grow FASTER EARLIER but NOT GROW MORE than normal thus so as not to use as much feed. As soon as they have stopped growing which is much earlier than the bulls they are taken to market. It is also the estradiol that at the end stops them from growing more. They will NOT normally grow as big as the bulls of the breeding stock nor end up with more fat.

For some reason in the past there has been a major disconnect between the knowledge of livestock and our own knowledge of human hormones.

I have continuously in the past run across the misconception of estradiol growth many times both on this site and a few other places.