Abstract: The microstructures of silver carp and pork dorsal muscles were explored using scanning electron microscopy and gel electrophoresis. Meanwhile, their basic components were comparatively measured. Fish had more delicious muscle than pork. Both the essential-to-total amino acids ratios of fish and pork was more than 40%. Compared with pork, fish was richer in salt-soluble protein, and less in water-soluble protein, insoluble protein and fat. Myosin was the predominant protein in muscles from both species followed by actin. The contents of the 56 kD protein and 48 kD proteins showed a great difference between muscles from both species. Hydrophobic amino acids were more in the total proteins of muscles from both species than in myosin. Fish myosin contained less hydrophilic amino acids than pork myosin.

Key words: silver carp, pork, microstructure, basic component, amino acid