Question

What happens to the original cell density of meat when left out over night? pls explain as detailed as possible

Answer 1

The meat that is sold in the shops is derived from skeletal muscles. Some portion of the meat is also derived from cutaneous muscles i.e. the muscles attached to the skin. Connective tissues can also form some portion of the meat but mostly it is the fibrous texture and structure of the meat by which it is selected.

The meat is always stored at extremely low temperatures to slow down or prevent its degradation by bacteria. Usually, the bacteria are confined to the surface of the meat. When proteolytic bacteria approach their maximum cell density, extracellular proteases secreted by the bacteria break down the connective tissue between the muscle fibers, allowing the bacteria to penetrate the meat.

Proteolytic bacteria will cause protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds in the meat protein. Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Normally, proteolysis is an important biological process which is necessary for digestion of proteins and for making amino acids available for various cellular processes. This is a continuous process in living cells.

Since the cells in meat are no longer living, the process of proteolysis by certain bacteria will lead to accumulation of different peptides and amino acids in the cell. Some cells will be broken down and digested by the microbes growing on the meat. So, the cell density of meat will decrease with the passage of time.