Turkeys do not fly, but they do plenty of running around. Active
muscles, such as the legs and thighs, are full of blood vessels.
These blood vessels contain myoglobin (or muscle hemoglobin), which
delivers oxygen to the muscles. The more myoglobin the muscles
contain, the darker the muscle.
Scientists often refer
to these active muscles as slow-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers
are built for endurance, which allows the muscles to work for long
periods of time. Thus the turkey can run around all day without
getting tired.
On the other hand, white meat is the result of well-rested muscles.
The breast muscles, which are used for flying, are hardly used
by turkeys. There is no need to have a rich supply of oxygen delivered
to these muscles. Scientists refer to these types of muscles as
fast-twitch fibers. Fast-twitch fibers are designed for quick
bursts of energy, but they fatigue quickly.
Related
Web Sites |
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Further
Reading |
- Davis,
Karen. More than a meal: the turkey in history, myth,
ritual, and reality. New York, Lantern Books, c2001.
192 p.
- Grivetti,
Louis E, Jan L. Corlett, and Cassius T. Lockett. Food
in American history part 2: turkey, in Nutrition
today, v. 36, March 2001: pg.88-96.
- Haseltine,
Eric. The body electric: measuring your fast-twitch and
slow-twitch fibres, in Discover, v. 22, Dec.,
2001: pg. 92.
- Martini,
Frederic. Muscle tissue, in Fundamentals of anatomy
and physiology. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice
Hall, c1998. pg 276-313. (Slow and Fast Fibers, p. 302)Bibliography
item 1.
- McGinty,
Brian. The American turkey, in Early American life,
v. 9, 1978: 24-26, 76-77.
- Vogel,
Steven. Prime mover: a natural history of muscle. New
York, W.W. Norton & Company, c2001. 370 p.
|
For
more print resources...
Search on "cookery
(turkey)," "meat," "muscles," or "turkey"
in the Library of Congress Online
Catalog. |
Turkey on the farm of Lucil and Cleophas Winding in Amite, MS.
USDA Image Number: 96CS0896, by Bill Tarpenning
Photo: Wild Turkey. From Birds,
on
the
Zion National Park Web site.
Photo:
The First Small Turkey - Technologies in the Marketplace, USDA
Agricultural Research Service.
Election cartoon
- Whig candidate Winfield Scott & Democrat Franklin Pierce. Prints & Photographs
Division, Library of Congress.
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