Essay On Muscle Glycogen

Muscle relaxation for the muscle to relax it is necessary to remove the calcium ions (which happens when there are no more nerve impulses) and to provide ATP so that more MgATP filler can be formed. Stored glycogen is the immediate source of energy for muscle activity. The glycogen is broken down by glycolitic enzymes to pyruvic acid, which is in turn broken down in the presence of oxygen (supplied by the blood) to carbon dioxide (removed by the blood) and water. During this process ATP is made available to form MgATP. The result is muscle relaxation. When an animal is slaughtered, it is bled until it dies. When it stops breathing, oxidation of the limited amount of blood still remaining in the lungs can no longer take place.

Muscular relaxation

The pH of such carcasses will drop to around 5,4. If the animal is sick, excited or exhausted and go for slaughter, these conditions cause depletion of muscle glycogen reserves, which in its turn gives rise to a reduction in the formation of lactic acid. In other words the pH of the carcass will not fall so much - to about 6,5 instead of 5,4. These conditions have the following effects such as the meat is more prone to decay since certain pathogenic organisms grow more easily at a higher pH. Certain anaerobic bacteria in the lymph nodes can also multiply and spread to the surrounding meat. This will reduce the shelf-life of the meat. In the case of large, fat animals which are cooled inadequately or too slowly, a similar multiplication of anaerobic bacteria takes place, especially in the vicinity of the hip joint and sometimes the shoulder. This is known as "bone taint". Also the higher pH causes the meat to lose its water retention ability, so water is not retained within the muscles. This causes what is known as DFD (dark, firm, dry) meat, also known as "dark