Ruminant Digestion

Question 1

List 3 examples of ruminant animals.

Answer 1

• Cattle/cow
• Goats
• Camels

Question 2

What are the two main steps of ruminant digestion?

Answer 2

1. eating food then regurgitating it.

2. eating regurgitated cud .

Question 3

Simply explain the flow of food in ruminants.

Answer 3

mouth (swallowed), Oesophagus, rumen (fermentation), reticulum (regurgitated), Oesophagus (bi-directional), Mouth (swallowed), Omasum, Abomasum.

Question 4

What are the 4 chambers of the ruminant stomach called, in order?

Answer 4

1. Rumen
2. Reticulum
3. Omasum
4. Abomasum

Question 5

What is the role of the rumen?

Answer 5

• largest component
• storage space for food
• fermentation takes place here
• microbes digest and ferment, making volatile fatty acids.