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Effects of Weight, Castration and Rate of Gain on Muscle Fiber and Fat Cell Diameter in Two Ovine Muscles¹

University of Kentucky, Lexington

Abstract

Meat tenderness and quality have been attributed to many factors including fiber diameter and intramuscular fat. Muscle fiber diameter has been extensively investigated because it is a logical first step in describing cell morphology. The size of the intramuscular fat cell is also a morphological feature of muscle and has been associated with changes in tissue development (Walls, 1960; Hammond, 1932).

It has been agreed generally that the development of muscles during growth is due to an increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers existing at birth (Hammond, 1932; Joubert, 1956; Staun, 1963; Venable, 1963). A number of workers have studied the relationship between muscle fiber size and tenderness in beef and pork (Hiner et al., 1953; Romans, Tuma and Tucker, 1965; Carpenter et al., 1963; Livingston, Blair and English, 1966). Other workers have reported significant variations in fat cell size in bovine and porcine muscle (Moody and Cassens, 1968; Moody, Kauffman and Cassens, 1968).

¹ The investigation reported in this paper (69-5-158) is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with approval of the Director.

² Appreciation is expressed to Dr. D. D. Kratzer, Department of Animal Sciences for assistance with statistical analysis.