Muscle fibre composition of the bovine tail: a pilot study

A bovine tail was cross-sectioned at four vertebrae, to expose its muscles - dorsal extensors, ventral flexors and the lateral flexors that pass between the transverse processes. Muscle cross-sectional areas were measured at these faces and muscle sections were stained to distinguish slow and fast fibre types. From the muscle and fibre area data and fibre type occurrences, preliminary conclusions are drawn about the role of different muscles. The tail as a model for muscle studies is briefly discussed.