A master’s thesis titled “Changes in the Histological and Functional Structure of Skeletal Muscles in Broiler Chickens with Age” was discussed at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Al-Qadisiyah University. The thesis was presented by Hanin Abdul Amir Abbas and supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Nabil Abdul Murad Al-Maamouri.
The study aimed to explore age-dependent changes in the growth of skeletal muscle in broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) using a histochemical and molecular methodology, and to analyze the expression of the MYH7, MYF5, and MYOG genes at different stages of growth.
The results showed a gradual increase in the size of muscle fibers and the thickness of connective tissue layers, reflecting the continuous development of muscle structure.

The study also showed that muscle glycogen levels vary significantly with age, with muscles showing an increase in glycogen concentration, indicating the importance of this compound in meeting energy requirements during muscle growth. The thesis recommended determining the molecular weight of β-MHC, MYOG, and MYF5 using Western blotting, and measuring the expression and location of β-MHC, MYOG, and MYF5 using immunohistochemical techniques. It also recommended assessing muscle glycogen concentration using diastase digestion, comparing the expression of MYH7, MYF5, and MYOG among different bird species or under various nutritional conditions, and studying the expression of MYH1 in developing fast-twitch muscle fibers in broiler chickens.