ruminant digestive system Flashcards
1
Q
what takes place in the rumen?
A
- bacterial fermentation
- enzymes fully break down food
2
Q
what happens in the reticulum?
A
- contracts for mechanical digestion
- has a honeycomb filter to filter out larger particles of food
3
Q
what happens in the omasum?
A
- grinds and squeezes food and absorbs water and fatty acids
- filters out larger particles of food and returns it to reticulum
4
Q
what happens in the abomasum?
A
- known as “actual” stomach
- symbiotic bacteria digested here
- absorbs all final nutrients
5
Q
what are the four components of the ruminant stomach?
A
rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum
6
Q
what is a symbiotic relationship in ruminants between themselves and microbes that produce cellulase?
A
a relationship between a host and bacteria that is not produced by the host, but thrives in the host’s body
