Question

Which would be leaner: a steer with a high or low specific gravity reading?

a) High
b) Low

Answer 1

A steer with a high specific gravity would be leaner because lean tissue is denser than fat, indicating that body fat levels are low.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the leanness of a steer, you have to take into account its body composition, specifically, the amount of fat versus lean tissue. One way of assessing this is through specific gravity readings. Specific gravity is a measure of density. Therefore, if we consider two steers, one with high specific gravity and one with low specific gravity, the one with the high specific gravity would be leaner. This is because lean tissue, such as muscle, has a higher density than fat.

In reference to the options provided, the correct answer would be:

• high; high; are low

This means a steer with a high specific gravity would be leaner (because the body fat levels are low), while a steer with a low specific gravity would not be as lean, indicating higher body fat levels.