ABSTRACT
Upon death, there are pronounced changes in the appearance, texture, chem istry, and redox potential of the muscle. It is perhaps not uncommon to see the terms muscle and meat used interchangeably in the literature and although meat is derived from living muscle, there are many differences between the two. Perhaps the most notable change occurring upon death is the cessation of the heart beat, which supplies blood and oxygen to the muscle. The lack of oxygen initiates most of the deteriorative changes that ensue immediately af ter death.
