The major component of a given muscle is the constituent muscle fibres. Lean growth and ultimate muscle mass are therefore largely determined by the number of muscle fibres and the size of those fibres. During myogenesis, myoblasts develop from mesenchymal precursor cells by proliferation and myogenic commitment. Myoblasts subsequently fuse to form multinucleated myofibres. Postnatal growth of ...

Motor fibres which cause eye movement in the horizontal plane in response to optokinetic stimuli have been demonstrated in the crab, Carcinus (Burrows & Horridge, 1968; Wiersma & Fiore, 1971 a, b) and in the crayfish, Procambarus (Wiersma & Oberjat, 1968). Such optokinetic movements are limited to an angle of up to about 15°. Periodically the eyes flick back toward their starting point and resu...

The group of man-made mineral or vitreous fibres (MMMFs or MMVFs) includes glass wool, rock wool, slag wool, glass filaments and microfibres, and refractory ceramic fibres (RCFs). Experimental observations have provided evidence that some types of MMVF are bioactive under certain conditions. The critical role of size parameters has been demonstrated in cellular and animal experiments, when inta...

This paper summarizes the biological effects of refractory ceramic fibres (RCFs). RCFs are aluminosilicate glass insulation wools with similar chemical properties to other synthetic vitreous fibres (SVFs) or 'man-made vitreous fibres' (MMVFs). There is concern that RCFs could be significantly more pathogenic than other SVFs. This paper critically reviews the data on which this perception is bas...

The fibulins are a family of proteins that are associated with basement membranes and elastic extracellular matrix fibres. This review summarizes findings from studies of animal models of fibulin deficiency, human fibulin gene mutations, human tumours and injury models that have advanced our understanding of the normal and pathological roles of members of this formerly obscure family.

There are at least 1000 types of plant that bear usable fibers [1]. Natural plant fibres are easily obtained in many tropical parts and are available throughout the world. Today these fibres are considered as environment friendly materials owing to their biodegradability and renewable properties [2]. Natural fibres have applications in fields of textile, paper manufacturing, and bioenergy indus...

Animal production is under fire. When considering the future of animal production, questions are being asked from all sides. Can we afford animal production? Does man really need animal protein in his diet ; would plant protein supplemented with vitamin B12 fulfil his nutritional needs ; does he really need animal fibres and hides? Is it cruel to use animals in the service of man? Perhaps we as...

Microscopic animal and plant fibres detected in archaeological contexts are a valuable source of information regarding textile production, use-histories artefacts studying mortuary practices. At the same time, recent research on microplastic pollution has revealed ability to move even long distances accumulate various terrestrial aquatic contexts. In this paper we discuss accumulation 100–1000-...

The superminimality of the fibres of an almost contact metric submersion is used to study the integrability of the horizontal distribution and the structure of the total space.