Editing Meat (section)

=== Biochemical ===

The biochemical composition of meat varies in complex ways depending on the species, breed, sex, age, plane of nutrition, training and exercise of the animal, as well as on the anatomical location of the musculature involved.{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=94–126}} Even between animals of the same litter and sex there are considerable differences in such parameters as the percentage of intramuscular fat.{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=126}}

Adult mammalian [[muscle]] consists of roughly 75 percent water, 19 percent protein, 2.5 percent intramuscular fat, 1.2 percent [[carbohydrate]]s and 2.3 percent other soluble substances. These include organic compounds, especially [[amino acid]]s, and inorganic substances such as minerals.{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} Muscle proteins are either soluble in water ([[sarcoplasm]]ic proteins, about 11.5 percent of total muscle mass) or in concentrated salt solutions ([[myofibril]]lar proteins, about 5.5 percent of mass).{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} There are several hundred sarcoplasmic proteins.{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} Most of them – the glycolytic [[enzyme]]s – are involved in [[glycolysis]], the conversion of sugars into high-energy molecules, especially [[adenosine triphosphate]] (ATP).{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} The two most abundant myofibrillar proteins, [[myosin]] and [[actin]],{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} form the muscle's overall structure and enable it to deliver power, consuming ATP in the process. The remaining protein mass includes [[connective tissue]] ([[collagen]] and [[elastin]]).{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|pp=76–80}} Fat in meat can be either [[adipose tissue]], used by the animal to store energy and consisting of "true fats" ([[ester]]s of [[glycerol]] with [[fatty acid]]s),{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=82}} or intramuscular fat, which contains [[phospholipid]]s and [[cholesterol]].{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=82}}

Meat can be broadly classified as "red" or "white" depending on the concentration of [[myoglobin]] in muscle fiber. When myoglobin is exposed to [[oxygen]], reddish oxymyoglobin develops, making myoglobin-rich meat appear red. The redness of meat depends on species, animal age, and fiber type: [[Red meat]] contains more narrow muscle fibers that tend to operate over long periods without rest,{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=93}} while [[white meat]] contains more broad fibers that tend to work in short fast bursts, such as the brief flight of the chicken.{{sfn|Lawrie|Ledward|2006|p=93}} The meat of adult mammals such as [[beef|cows]], [[Lamb and mutton|sheep]], and [[horse meat|horses]] is considered red, while [[Chicken as food|chicken]] and [[Turkey meat|turkey]] breast meat is considered white.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/white-meat-vs-red-meat.html |title=White Meat vs. Red Meat / Nutrition / Healthy Eating |access-date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505011359/http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/white-meat-vs-red-meat.html |archive-date=May 5, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=275 heights=140>
File:Blade steak (cropped).jpg|"Red" meat:<br/>beef steak
File:Hühnerbrustfilet 20090502 001 (cropped).JPG|"White" meat:<br/>chicken breast (flight muscle)
</gallery>