Digestion and absorption of nutrients in RUMINANT

Question 1

Digestive tract includes:

Answer 1

mouth - esophagus - stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum) - small intestine - large intestine

Question 2

Special characteristics of 4 compartment stomach

Answer 2

Able to digest high fiber diet (e.g. forages and roughage)

Question 3

Mouth (process….)

Answer 3

Ingestion - mastication (chewing)

Question 4

Esophagus - rumen (process….)

Answer 4

Swallowing

Question 5

Rumen - esophagus (process….)

Answer 5

Regurgitation

Question 6

Esophagus - mouth (process….)

Answer 6

Remastication

Question 7

Rumen/reticulum (process….)

Answer 7

Fermentation

Question 8

Rumen - mouth (process….)

Answer 8

Eructation

Question 9

Abomasum (process….)

Answer 9

Digestion

Question 10

Small intestine - blood/lymph (process….)

Answer 10

Absorption

Question 11

What is rumination?

Answer 11

Reduce particle size of digesta for passage to lower tract

Question 12

Saliva function:

Answer 12

• Moistens food and lubricates the bolus
• More importantly provides buffer for rumen
• Contain nitrogen – source of nutrients for rumen microbes

Question 13

Why ruminant chew on lateral jaw?

Answer 13

To aid in shredding tough plant fibers

Question 14

Fermentation in ruminant happened in ______.

Answer 14

Rumen and reticulum

Question 15

Rumen characteristics:

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

Microbial roles in rumen:

Answer 16

• Fiber digestion
• Starch digestion
• Urea utilization

Question 17

End products of fermentation

Answer 17

VFA
Microbial protein
B vitamins
Vitamin K
Essential Lipids

Question 18

What are the examples of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs)?

Answer 18

acetic, propionic, butyric acid

Question 19

Function of rumen and reticulum

Answer 19

Site of microbial action & absorption of VFA’s

Question 20

Function of omasum

Answer 20

remove water from the feed mass that leaving the rumen and reticulum
↓
feed mass contain less water allows effective digestion in following chamber, abomasum