Lecture 54- Ruminant Digestive Physiology I Flashcards
What is the gastric stomach?
Abomasum
What makes up the ruminant forestomachs? What type of cells?
Rumen, reticulum, omasum
Stratified squamous epithelium
No glands
Pillars and papillae
Describe the evolution of ruminants. What is the digestive strategy?
Ingest enormous quantities of forage in short time minimizing exposure in the open
Spend maximal time ruminating in the protection of trees and rocks
What is the ruminant GIT compartmentalized in:
Rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum
How is pre-gastric fermentation accomplished?
By microbes
Allows animals to more completely utilize products of fermentation
Pseudoruminats have no ______
Omasum
Where is the site of fermentation for ruminants?
Rumen
Where is the site of fermentation for non ruminants?
Cecum and large intestine
What are examples of ruminant species?
Cattle
Bison
Sheep
Antelope
Goats
Deer
Elk
How is food physically broken down?
*prehension-lips, tongues
*mastication during eating + rumination.
Rumination = regurgitation + remastication
*microbial fermentation (accomplished by bacteria, fungi, yeast, Protozoa)
What are the three major salivary glands?
Parotoid
Sublingual
Mandibular
What is the composition and function of saliva?
Composition: bicarbonate, urea, K, inorganic phosphate, Cl
**Buffering is the number 1 function, adding moisture and lipase
Which environmental conditions are needed to support fermentation?
Appropriate substrate
Temperature around 37
Osmolarity near 300 mOsm
Anaerobic conditions
Frequent mixing of ingesta
Particle size reduction
Indigestible material removal
Synchronized movement of fermented content to intestine
VFA must be buffered to maintain neutral pH
Where does 60-75% of digestion occur? Also the primary site of fermentation?
Rumen
What do amylolytic bacterial species consist of?
Starch and sugars
What do cellulolytic bacterial species consist of?
Cellulose, hemicellulose
What are the end products of fermentation?
Acetate, propionate, butyrate
*very important to remember: more acetate in high fiber and more propionate on high-grain**
What do papillae and extensive capillaries do in the rumen?
Increase surface area, absorb
*larger on high grain diets
What is the function of the reticulum?
Form bolus for regurgitation
Move particles to omasum
Move particles to rumen
How do materials from rumen pass into omasum?
Via the reticulo-omasum orfice
What does the omasum regulate?
Passage of digesta into lower tract
What is absorbed in the omasum?
Water and VFA