Advanced Digestion Info Flashcards
Name the two thing saliva does to food.
Moistens and lubricates food, allowing it to move down throat easily
Saliva creates a fluid base for what?
Creates a fluid base for the digestion of nutrients
Saliva helps provides the proper environment for the growth of what?
Provides proper environment for bacterial growth
Saliva is vital to rumen health, because without saliva what would happen to the rumen?
Without saliva to buffer the acid produced by the rumen microbes, the rumen would become to acidic for proper rumen fermentation
Factors that influence the quantity of saliva involve physical stimulation of what three parts of the digestive system?
Most factors that influence the quantity of saliva produced involve physical stimulation: Stimulation of mouth during eating/Stimulation of tongue during eating and rumination/Stretching of esophagus during swallowing
What is asphyxia?
the lack of oxygen when an animal eats and reduces breathing
Besides physical stimulation, name another factor that can increase the amount of saliva produced?
- Asphyxia
Increased gas pressure in rumen
How many compartments does the rumen have?
5
Name the sacs of the rumen.
cranial, dorsal, ventral, caudodorsal blind, caudoventral blind
Which rumen sacs are the first to receive feed from the esophagus?
Cranial sac - located in the front of the rumen, feed goes here
Dorsal sac - located at the top of the rumen (toward the backbone), feed goes here
Which rumen sac contains mostly liquid?
Ventral - lower side of rumen, contains mostly liquid
What is the function of the caudodorsal blind and the caudoventral blind sac?
Caudodorsal blind sac and caudoventral blind sac - don’t lead anywhere, but hold partially digested feed so microbes can digest it
In which sac does a floating mat of feed form?
dorsal sac
Muscular contractions of the rumen mix the feed. How often do they occur in a healthy animal?
These rumen materials are mixed by muscular contractions that occur once every minute in a healthy cow.
The contractions of the rumen force liquid up through a mat made of what?
These contractions force the liquid up thru the mat which ensures good contact between the microbes and the feed they need to digest.
Besides forages, what else does the mat also catch?
The mat also catches small grain particles which allows the microbes time to digest them.
A cow will only ruminant when it is in what state?
Occurs when animal is relaxed
Approximately how many hours a day does a healthy cow spend ruminating?
A cow will spend 7-10 hours a day ruminating
What do cows spend the majority of that time ruminating?
Most of the time will be spent ruminating forages
Name the primary function of the reticulum.
The primary function is sorting feed particles and returning large particles to the rumen for further digestion
What percent of water entering the omasum is absorbed? About how many gallons is that?
Absorbs 60-70% of the water entering the omasum or about 26 gallons per day
What does the term monogastric refer to?
single-stomach
Name the acid present in the abomasum and tell the pH level of the abomasum.
Hydrochloric (HCl) which causes the abomasum to be very acidic - pH level about 2.
The enzyme pepsin is important for digesting and breaking down what compounds?
Pepsin
What enzyme is secreted in young animals, that helps thicken the milk so it can be digested?
Rennin
When the esophageal groove forms milk flows from the esophagus to what compartment?
This allows milk to flow directly down the esophagus to the omasum, bypassing the rumen and reticulum.
The production of what in the rumen, triggers the development of the rumen and reticulum?
The development of the rumen and reticulum is triggered by the VFA’s produced by the microbes when the calf begins to eat hay and grain and the fermentation process begins.
What is the length of the average intestine? How many gallons of digesta does the average intestine hold?
The average intestine is 130 ft long and holds 10 gallons of digesta.
What are the three sections of the small intestines?
It has 3 sections: duodenum, jejunum, ileum
Besides the small intestine, what 2 organs have secretions that enter the duodenum?
Pancreas, liver
Secretions into the duodenum break down starches and carbohydrates into what?
simple sugars
Name three enzymes produced by the small intestine.
amylase, peptidase, lipase
What 3 letter ending tells you something is an enzyme?
“ase”
What enzyme digests lipids or fats?
lipase
The enzyme peptidase breaks down proteins into what?
amino acids
What three things are secreted by the pancreas?
buffers, horemones, enzymes
What is a buffer?
A buffer is any substance that can reduce changes in pH when an acid or alkali is added.
A buffer is used to reduce changes in what level?
pH level
If there was no way to reduce the changes in pH level, what would happen to the small intestines?
If there was no way to increase the pH to near neutral, the acidic stomach contents would burn right through the lining of the small intestine.
Name two hormones produced by the pancreas.
insulin and glucagon
A substance secreted into the blood that acts on tissues in other parts of the body to produce a biological response is a what?
Hormone
What do you call a substance that can reduce changes in pH when an acid or alkali is added?
Buffer
What is a hormone?
A substance secreted into the blood that acts on tissues in other parts of the body to produce a biological response
What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a compound that helps speed up changes in other materials without being changed itself.
A compound that helps speed up changes in other materials without being changed itself is called a what?
Enzyme
What organ secretes bile?
Liver
The liver secretes bile into what organ?
small intestine
Name the two reasons bile is important?
Bile important for two reasons:
1. Neutralizes the digesta 2. Needed for digestion of fats
Where is bile stored?
gall bladder
A hormone triggers the release of bile in response to digesta that is high in what nutrient?
fat
The liver uses what two compounds to make glucose?
proprionate and lactate
When the liver makes glucose this process is called what?
gluconeogenesis
The liver also converts absorbed ammonia into what less toxic compound?
urea
Name the two parts of the large intestine.
cecum, colon
What traits does the large intestine share with the rumen?
both are sacculated and both contain microorganisms which can ferment nutrients into VFA’s and microbial protein
Describe the inside of the large intestine?
It is smooth and contains no papillae or villi
What purpose do the sacs of the large intestine serve?
The sacs help slow down the digesta, so that water can be absorbed
What is the main function of the large intestine?
water absorption and storage of waste materials
What happens to the VFA’s and microbial protein produced in the large intestine?
These volatile fatty acids (VFA’s) can be absorbed and used but the microbial protein cannot and is lost in the feces
How does bile aid digestion?
Bile aids in breaking up fat into small particles that are easier to digest and absorb through the intestinal walls
