Received: 9/2/2014 accepted: 21/4/2014
Hashim M.A-kareem
[email protected]
Biology Department , Collage of Science , Al-Qadissiya University
Abstract
This study deals with a number of skeletal muscles in two types of birds ; flying (pigeon )
and running (chicken ) types . The total number of the studied birds was 30; 15 were chicken
and 15 were pigeons. Some of the physiological and histological characteristics of the muscle
fibers (red, white, and intermediate ), the percentage of fibers diameter in the studied
muscles, and the change noted in the muscle weight with advancing age had been calculated.
The species of the chicken in this study was Gallusdomesticus , while the species of the
pigeons was Columbia livia.
The muscles that is used in the study were : pectoralis muscle , femortibialis, triceps,
biceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis muscle, and gastrocnemius muscles in two age groups
of birds; ( 3-6 ) and ( 6-12 ) months .
The results had shown that the skeletal muscles in birds consist of heterogenous mixture of
the three types of muscle fibers ( red, white, and intermediate ) and that the size of the white
muscle fibers in pectoralis muscle of both types ( chicken and pigeons ) and in both age
groups used in this study was about 75% of the total size of the muscle i.e. the white fibers are
the predominant type of fibers in this muscle, while the red fibers forms about 25% of the
total size. |