Ruminant Digestive System

To explain the digestive system  of ruminants I am taking the example of Cows digestive system.

The cow's digestive tract consists of the following;

• Mouth
• Esophagus
• A four-compartment stomach, which includes
  • The rumen
  • The reticulum
  • The omasum
  • The abomasum
• Small intestine
• Large intestine

Each of the four compartments in the cow's stomach has a different function. 

The rumen

The rumen is where the cow chews her cud (grass and other plant matter).

The reticulum

The reticulum is where the cow chews her hay or other feedstuffs.

The omasum

The omasum is where most of the digestion takes place. It is located just beneath the cow's stomach and consists of a large number of small folds which act like sieves, allowing only nutriments with a certain size to pass into the next compartment.

Omasum

Although it is named "Omasum" it really performs the function of Stomach #2.

The abomasum is located at the very end of the digestive tract of the cow. It secretes acids that help in the breakdown of food. It also stores unneeded material until it passes out of the body.

Final part of the digestive tract

The final part of the digestive tract is the rectum and the anus. Here, liquid waste matter passes out of the body and is removed by passing through a fecal sac which empties into a collection area outside the body. Dry fecal matter is passed out through the anus and deposited on the ground as manure.

Rumination:

The act of chewing cud Rumen Digestion:

 Chewing is the first step in the process of breaking down the indigestible portions of the food. It is carried out by microorganisms in the form of protozoa, bacteria, and fungi. These organisms secrete enzymes which act as powerful natural catalysts. In the case of ruminants, they break down cellulose and other complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. Fermentation: After the carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, bacteria and yeast convert these sugars into gas (carbon dioxide) and volatile fatty acids which are used by the animal for energy. Volatile fatty acids also serve as an important nutrient for the cells of the body.

Noria: 

The rumen is located just beneath the stomach and consists of a large number of small folds which act like sieves, allowing only nutriments with a certain size to pass into the next compartment. This process is called rumination and is the primary function of the rumen. It is the most important organ for digesting fiber. The digestive system of the cow contains many specialized glands that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in digestion. These are called the salivary glands, pancreas, and liver. These glands can be seen on both sides of the neck.

By comparison, the human digestive tract is only about 30 feet (9 meters) long. It begins at the mouth and ends at the anus. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth with the stomach. It is approximately 14 inches (35 centimeters) long in an adult person. The stomach is a muscular sac that protects the intestine from acids and enzymes in the food. It is divided into four distinct compartments: the fundus, the body or middle, the pylorus and the antrum. The fundus is the part of the stomach that is closest to the duodenum. It has a sphincter muscle around it to prevent material from the other stomach compartments from regurgitating back into the esophagus. The body of the stomach contains the chemical sensors that tell the stomach when it is time to initiate the process of digestion.

1.By comparison, the brain only has about 10,000 neurons. Stomach #2 is much more complex than Stomach #1 because it has to deal with protein. Protein is not broken down by simple sugars like carbohydrates; rather, it is broken down by acids and enzymes produced in the pancreas, the liver and various other glands. Because of this, Stomach #2 has a higher level of activity than Stomach #1

Note : Stomach #1  nominate Ruminants stomatch and Stomach #2 nominate human stomatch.

2. In fact, Stomach #2 has a much higher metabolic rate than Stomach #1

3. It is also possible that a person who is very conscious (mentally active) may have a higher metabolic rate than someone who is less mentally active. Digestion Time: The average adult human can fully digest food in approximately two hours. This is called the post-prandial period and occurs after the ingestion of food. However, our metabolic rate is constant throughout the day and varies only slightly from the late afternoon to the early morning hours.

Generate private story names for your Snapchat stories by using the free name generator by privatestorynames.org.