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On this page, you'll find
extensive
information leading on Rollers Pigeons information
and products to help you
on your way to success to find all you need about Racing
Pigeon Loft.
From a biological point of view then, pigeon races each week may well represent a repeated migratory phase of their lives. The breast muscles of the rollers pigeons contain two types of muscle - red and white - with red muscle by far the most abundant. Why does red muscle appear red or red-brown, and white muscle white or at least pale? The difference lies in the fact that red muscle contains myoglobin, a complex, pigmented chemical structure that is similar to haemoglobin, the compound that imparts the red colour to blood. Both haemoglobin and myoglobin contain iron, which gives them their red colour, and both have a great capacity to hold oxygen for transfer to tissues. Red muscle fibres contain abundant myoglobin which holds and then transfers plentiful supplies of oxygen to the muscle structures known as mitochondria -- the powerhouses of all cells, where ATP is generated -- that utilise the fat in the production of energy for flight. White muscle fibres contain little or no myoglobin, and as a result they have developed the capacity to utilise glycogen in the absence of oxygen (called anaerobic metabolism: "an" = "without"; "aerobic" = "oxygen") in the production of energy for their explosive role in flight. Also, because they don't contain the pigmented compound myoglobin, they are very pale, and are described as white. Thus, the great breast muscles of the domestic chicken or turkey are comprised mainly of white fibres, and appear pale for that reason. By comparison, the massive breast muscles of the pigeon and any cut of beef for that matter, are good examples of muscles that contain mainly red fibres. To digress momentarily, cells in various organs of the body are of different types, shapes and functions. For example, cells of the liver look like sugar cubes or dice; some brain cells resemble a spider or an octopus; skin cells, especially those near the surface, are flat like pancakes, and so on. When muscle cells are separated out from the main breast muscles by delicate microtechniques, they are seen to be elongated or thread-like, and in fact, resemble fine threads or fibres. Hence, by convention, muscles cells are usually described as fibres. If a lengthwise section of muscle is cut out of the breast of a pigeon, fixed in formalin to stop all chemical processes, processed in a series of chemicals such as alcohols and xylene, embedded in wax, cut very thinly, placed on a glass slide, and then stained with certain dyes, it can be examined by use of a microscope. A lengthwise section of stained muscle has the appearance of a number of cigar- shaped fibres lying side by side and end to end. Closer inspection reveals that there are fibres of two different diameters, one broad and the other narrow. The broad fibres have a relatively smooth looking interior, whereas the narrow fibres have a rough interior because of the amount of "machinery" and fuel they contain. To obtain a different look at the microscopic appearance of the muscle, we can also cut our original piece of muscle in cross section and stain it to get an end-on view of these fibres. Here, we see that the fibres are arranged in bundles that are separated from one another by connective tissue. When we look at the muscle in cross section, we see even more clearly that there are fibres of two different diameters, one a broad diameter and the other, a narrow diameter fibre, and further that, for the most part, the broad diameter fibres are located on the outside edge of each bundle, whereas, the smaller diameter fibres are located more deeply within a bundle. (For photos of the microscopic appearance of these fibres, see issues of the ARPJ a couple of years ago.) We strive to provide only quality information, so if there is a specific topic related to Racing Pigeon Loft website that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time. And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our Rollers Pigeons website. << Return from Rollers Pigeons page, back to Racing Pigeon Loft Home |