Ruminant Digestion

Question 1

Mouth, teeth and tongue

Answer 1

Break down food via chewing

Question 2

Oesophagus

Answer 2

Passage by which food is assed from the mouth to the stomach

Question 3

What is a ruminant

Answer 3

An animal that has 4 stomachs

Question 4

First stomach

Rumen

Answer 4

Paunch

• the rumen is a big vat that stores food
• contains microorganism and bacteria which produce the enzymes to break down cellulose into volatile fatty acids for their host to use.

Question 5

Second stomach

Reticulum

Answer 5

Reticulum (honeycomb)

• Microorganisms break down food
• Plays part in regurgitation - regurgitates food back into mouth the mouth for further chewing
• Filters the food (takes out wire, staples)

Question 6

Third stomach

Omasum

Answer 6

bible

• The omasum wall is highly folded, giving a large surface area which allows for the efficient absorption of water and salts released from the partially digested food.
• The omasum also acts as a type of pump, moving the food from the reticulorumen to the true stomach, the abomasum, where acid digestion takes place.

Question 7

Fourth stomach

Abomasum

Answer 7

Abomasum (true stomach)
- Cells in the abomasum wall produce enzymes and hydrochloric acid which break down proteins in the food and also in the microbes mixed in with the food. Hydrolysis breaks the proteins into smaller sub-units (e.g. dipeptides and amino acids), ready for further digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

Question 8

Small intestine

Answer 8

A large proportion of the digestion and absorption of nutrients and water occurs in the small intestine. Enzymes in the small intestine break nutrient molecules down into their building blocks. Carbohydrates are broken down to simple sugars (monosaccharides), fats into fatty acids and monoglycerides, nucleic acids into nucleotides and proteins into amino acids.

Question 9

Large intestine

Answer 9

Eliminates waste
Undigested and unabsorbed food, as well as other body wastes, leave the intestine in the form of faeces, via the rectum & anus.

Question 10

Gallbladder

Answer 10

Bile brakes down carbohydrates and fats

Question 11

Pancreas

Answer 11

Pancreatic juices and insulin