ceased and the milk is saleable, the calf is put
on a diet of reconstituted and soy milks, and
the cow is milked two or three times daily to
keep the secretory cells working at full
capacity.
The Milk Factory The mammary gland is an
astonishing biological factory, with many
different cells and structures working together
to create, store, and dispense milk. Some
components of milk come directly from the
cow’s blood and collect in the udder. The
principal nutrients, however — fats, sugar,
and proteins — are assembled by the gland’s
secretory cells, and then released into the
udder.
A Living Fluid Milk’s blank appearance
belies its tremendous complexity and vitality.
It’s alive in the sense that, fresh from the
udder, it contains living white blood cells,
some mammary-gland cells, and various
bacteria; and it teems with active enzymes,