Module 2-the pathway to eating meat Flashcards
What makes up the first trophic level
primary producers-autotrophs that make there own food from sun, CO2 and H2O. Ie. plants
What part of the trophic level are animals found
the second
Describe what makes up the second trophic level
its made up of different levels of consumers
What are primary consumer
Primary consumers are herbivores that get there food from eating primary producers
How do herbivores process food and benefit things higher on the trophic level
They get there food by eating primary producers and convert plant material into more nutritious feed required by animals higher on the food chain that arent capable of deriving of depriving nessicary nutrients for survival from plants alone
What are secondary consumers
they eat the primary consumers; they are carnivores
What is between primary and secondary consumers
omnavores
What are omnivores
they eat both producers (plants) and primary consumers (herbivores) or even secondary consumers (carnivores)
What is one way you can distinguish herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores
there teeth
Describe strict carnivore teeth
sting pointed incisors, enlarged canines for stabbing prey and carnassial teeth for shearing the flesh of the prey
Describe grazing herbavore teeth
large, flat preemolars with corrugated surface for grinding plant material
What are human teeth like
they are not specialized like the shoes of carnivores or herbivores enabling us to eat a wide range of foods including both plant and animal
What does the term herbivore refer to
animals that live on plant matter. Herbivores include grazing animals (graminivores) folivores, frugivores and granivors
What animals are included in grazing animals
ruminants (ie. cows and sheep) and non-ruminants (ie horses)
How do horses digest a herbivore diet
there cecum became dramatically enlarged
What do ruminants have a symbiotic relationship with
there gut microflora it enables them to obtain energy from poor quality fibroses feed
How do the microbes in the ruminants guy work
they create a fermentation vat where they break down plant fibres and produce energy for their host
How do non ruminant grazers digest plant matter
Non-ruminant grazing animals have similar microflora present in their cecum; the cecal microflora are generally less efficient than those of the rumen at producing energy from poor quality fibre and, consequently, non-ruminant grazers require a higher quality feed than ruminants
Do non grazing herbivores have microbes in there gut
no, Non-grazing herbivores do not have the gastrointestinal microbes necessary to break down fibrous carbohydrates
How do frugivorous and granivorous herbivores get there energy
they are restricted to parts of the plant where the nutrients are more readily available and they do not have the gastrointestinal microbes that are necessary for breaking down fibrous carbohydrates
Can humans digest fibrous plants
no, Humans cannot derive nutrients necessary for life from the grasses that will support grazing animals or the leaves that support the folivores although they do digest nutrients from the seeds and the fruits of plants
What is the digestive tract of herbivores like
Because plant digestion is a slow process, the digestive tracts of herbivores have high capacity and are complex to provide the capacity and function to break down plant material
Where do grazing animals get there energy source from
The primary energy source for grazing animals is volatile fatty acids that are produced by the breakdown of fibrous carbohydrates; cows and horses derive 50 to 75 percent of their energy from volatile fatty acids.
What do grazing animals eat
grasses
What do granivors eat
seeds
What do frugivores eat
fruit
What to folivores eat
leaves
Where do carnivores get there nutrient from
they derive their nutrients from the flesh of animals that produced that flesh by converting plant matter
What is a carnivore defined as
an animal that mostly eats meat meaning it might also consume some plant matter
Why can’t carnivores have a plant diet
The digestive tracts of carnivores lack special structures or adaptations needed to derive nutrients from plant matter and they have nutrient requirements that can only be met by animal flesh
Simply describe the digestive tract of a carnivore
The digestive tract of a carnivore is very simple in form; it consists of a simple stomach and a short total gastrointestinal tract with no sacculation of the colon Carnivores also produce all of the enzymes needed to efficiently break down and digest meat protein. The cecum is minimal or absent. Food passes rapidly through the digestive tract of the carnivore. Dogs and cats derive one to two precent of there energy from volatile fatty acids
Compare the digestive tract of omnivores to herbivores and carnivores
Omnivores, such as pigs and humans, have digestive tracts intermediate in capacity and complexity to those of herbivores and carnivores
How many precent of volatile fatty acids do humans and pigs derive
human: 6-9 pigs: 10-30
How many precent of there energy from cats and dogs is derived from volatile fatty acids
Dogs and cats derive one to two precent of there energy from volatile fatty acids
How many precent of energy from cows and horses is derived from volatile fatty acids
cows and horses derive 50 to 75 percent of their energy from volatile fatty acids
What kind of diet should humans ideally be made up by suggested by the type of digestive tract we have
The human digestive tract falls somewhere in between that of the herbivore and that of the carnivore suggesting that it is best adapted to a diet comprised of both plant and animal sources as is typical of omnivorous species
Briefly describe the make up of the human digestive tract
he digestive tract of humans and existing apes is comprised of an acid-producing stomach, a small intestine, a small cecum and a sacculated colon
What does the sacculated colon of humans tell us about our ancestors
it indicates we came from a herbivorous ancestor whose diet was fruit based
How does the human digestive tract differ from the apes
by volumetric proportion: most of the gut volume of the human tract is in the small intestine whereas apes is in the colon The meat component of the human diet supplies essential amino acids in the form of protein, vitamins and minerals while the plant-based component (fruits, vegetables, roots and seeds) supplies most of the energy requirements
What is taurine
its and amino sulfonic acid in virtually all cells of all animals.
Its found only in animal cells.
particularly important in electrically excitable tissues such as the brain, heart, and skeletal muscle
Cats can’t synthesize it from other amino acids
How did our ancestors provide food
they were hunter-gathers and consumed fruits, veg, nuts, roots, and meats. Taking advantage of whatever presented its self
When did our ancestors start consuming meat
at least two million years ago
What did eating meat do for mankind
develop proportionately large brains and complex social structures
What does it cost to keep the human brain going
the human brain is energetically expensive to maintain, twenty percent of our basal metabolic energy needs are required by our large brains
how did meat help supply humans with the necessary energy
has high energy returns per unit consumed and, it is believed, that adding meat to the evolving human diet supplied the necessary energy
what was a way fires contributed to our evolution
made nutrients in both plant and animal sources more readily available, and the consumption of meat made the acquisition of sufficient energy easier
what is only meat a source of
the only source of vitamin B12, the essential omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and heme iron; moreover, in the absence of dietary meat protein, essential amino acids, vitamin D3, carnosine, and creatine may be insufficient
what are Volatile Fatty Acids
energy source produced by digestion and fermentation of fibrous carbohydrates.
