THE ANIMAL BODY 13 



total percentage from 100. Hence they are obtained 

 by difference. 



V. COMPOSITION OP THE ANIMAL BODY. 



The body of farm animals may be regarded as 

 consisting of a bony skeleton, covered with an elaborate 

 system of muscles. In addition, fat may accumulate 

 between the individual fibres of these muscles and 

 round the muscles generally, with the result that, as 

 the animal fattens, the external covering of skin, with 

 its appendages of hair, wool, etc., varies from time to 

 time in size and shape. 



Within this skeleton the vital organs are found, 

 viz. : heart and lungs in front of the diaphragm (i.e. 

 in the chest), and the stomach, liver, spleen, intestines, 

 kidneys, etc., behind the diaphragm (i.e. in the abdomen). 

 Each of these organs plays a very important part in 

 animal nutrition. 



The vascular system distributes the nutrients which 

 have been absorbed into the blood, to every part of the 

 body where it is required, either for maintaining the 

 body temperature, repairing waste of tissue, supplying 

 energy, or producing increase. The digestible parts of 

 the food are thus utilised for the maintenance and 

 development of the body, while the indigestible or 

 unutilised part is removed from the system. 



Briefly stated, the important " proximate " con- 

 stituents of a fat animal from the butcher's point of 

 view are : lean meat, fat, bone, and the skin. The 

 proportion, arrangement, and quality of each of these 

 constituents in the animal body, are problems which 

 the breeder and purchaser of store stock have to keep 

 constantly in mind. 



