Digestion and absorption of nutrients in RUMINANT Flashcards
Digestive tract includes:
mouth - esophagus - stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum) - small intestine - large intestine
Special characteristics of 4 compartment stomach
Able to digest high fiber diet (e.g. forages and roughage)
Mouth (process….)
Ingestion - mastication (chewing)
Esophagus - rumen (process….)
Swallowing
Rumen - esophagus (process….)
Regurgitation
Esophagus - mouth (process….)
Remastication
Rumen/reticulum (process….)
Fermentation
Rumen - mouth (process….)
Eructation
Abomasum (process….)
Digestion
Small intestine - blood/lymph (process….)
Absorption
What is rumination?
Reduce particle size of digesta for passage to lower tract
Saliva function:
- Moistens food and lubricates the bolus
- More importantly provides buffer for rumen
- Contain nitrogen – source of nutrients for rumen microbes
Why ruminant chew on lateral jaw?
To aid in shredding tough plant fibers
Fermentation in ruminant happened in ______.
Rumen and reticulum
Rumen characteristics:
- Largest compartment: 100 to 120 kg of digesting material. (adult cow)
- Fiber particles remain 20 to 48 hours (bacterial fiber fermentation is slow)
- Lined with papillae
- Increases surface area and absorption
- Colonized by a vast number of microbial
Microbial roles in rumen:
- Fiber digestion
- Starch digestion
- Urea utilization
End products of fermentation
VFA Microbial protein B vitamins Vitamin K Essential Lipids
What are the examples of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs)?
acetic, propionic, butyric acid
Function of rumen and reticulum
Site of microbial action & absorption of VFA’s
Function of omasum
remove water from the feed mass that leaving the rumen and reticulum
↓
feed mass contain less water allows effective digestion in following chamber, abomasum
