Ruminant Stomach & Digestion

Question 1

What are the 4 chambers of the ruminant stomach?

Answer 1

Rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum

Question 2

Which chamber of the stomach is glandular?

Answer 2

Abomasum

Question 3

Which chamber of the stomach is the true stomach?

Answer 3

Abomasum

Question 4

What chambers of the stomach are non-glandular and what does that mean?

Answer 4

They do not produce digestive enzymes (rumen, reticulum, omasum)

Question 5

Where is majority of cellulose broken down?

Answer 5

Rumen & reticulum

Question 6

What chambers of the stomach contain microorganisms that help in the fermentation process of carbohydrates?

Answer 6

Rumen, reticulum

Question 7

The rumen is also known as what?

Answer 7

The paunch

Question 8

Where is the rumen located?

Answer 8

Occupies most of the left side of the abdominal cavity

Question 9

What increases the surface area for absorption in the rumen?

Answer 9

Papillae

Question 10

What chambers are considered to be part of the forestomach?

Answer 10

Reticulum rumen, omasum

Question 11

Answer 11

1. Rumen
2. Duodenum
3. Esophagus
4. Reticulum
5. Omasum
6. Abomasum

Question 12

What chamber functions the same way as the monogastric stomach?

Answer 12

Abomasum

Question 13

What does the reticulum resemble?

Answer 13

Honeycomb

Question 14

Where is the reticulum located?

Answer 14

Cranial to the rumen

Question 15

What links the esophagus with the omasum in young ruminants and why is this important?

Answer 15

Esophageal groove - lets milk bypass the reticulorumen and go directly into the omasum and abomasum (bacteria in reticulorumen will ferment milk and produce lactic acid inhibiting normal microbial action)

Question 16

What does the omasum resemble?

Answer 16

Many plies or “book stomach”

Question 17

What does the omasum connect?

Answer 17

Reticulorumen to abomasum

Question 18

What gets absorbed in the omasum?

Answer 18

Water and salt

Question 19

True/ False - The abomasum acts as a storage compartment

Answer 19

False

Question 20

In young ruminants, what is released in the abomasum that causes milk protein coagulation?

Answer 20

Renin

Question 21

There is a continuous flow of __________ in the abomasum

Answer 21

Ingesta - Volume remains constant

Question 22

This type of contraction ensures content movements between the reticulum and rumen and separates particles based on size

Answer 22

Primary contractions or mixing contractions

Question 23

This type of contraction in the reticulorumen moves ingesta up into the oral cavity

Answer 23

Rumination or “chewing the cud”

Question 24

What are the 4 steps of rumination?

Answer 24

Regurgitation
Re-insalivation
Re-mastication
Re-swallowing

Question 25

During regurgitation the reticulum contracts bringing material from the dorsal reticulum to the ____________ sphincter

Answer 25

Cardiac

Question 26

This type of reticulorumen contraction is responsible for the release of gases produced during fermentation

Answer 26

Eructation

Question 27

What are the two components to a ruminant's diet?

Answer 27

Grasses - complex carbohydrates Grains - non-structural carbohydrates

Question 28

How are carbohydrates broken down and what enzyme helps with this?

Answer 28

Hydrolysis by catalase enzyme to simple sugars

Question 29

True/ False - microorganisms use nutrients consumed for their own growth and development

Answer 29

True

Question 30

True/ False - Ruminants can digest microorganisms as a source of protein

Answer 30

True

Question 31

What is the main source of energy for the ruminant?

Answer 31

VFA's

Question 32

Diets with too many lipids result in what?

Answer 32

Decreased appetite, reduced motility of reticulorumen, decreased fermentation of cellulose

Question 33

What happens during lipid digestion?

Answer 33

Glycerol produces VFA's - hydrogenated fatty acids absorbed in small intestine and are stored or used for energy

Question 34

What nutrient in the ruminants diet is mostly used by the microorganisms to meet their own metabolic needs?

Answer 34

Protein

Question 35

What is released by rumen bacteria to break down proteins into peptide chains?

Answer 35

Peptidase

Question 36

What is the end product of protein breakdown?

Answer 36

Amino acids - absorbed across intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream and transported to the liver

Question 37

What organ is responsible for urea production in ruminants?

Answer 37

Liver - produces urea from proteins and ammonium absorbed from the rumen

Question 38

What happens to urea in ruminants?

Answer 38

Travels back to the rumen and then saliva where it is used by the microbes once again to make microbial proteins

Question 39

Why are ruminants constantly faced with a potential glucose deficiency?

Answer 39

Because ruminal microbes process carbohydrates before they are exposed to intestinal enzymes - no ingested carbohydrates make it to the small intestine

Question 40

How do ruminants produce glucose?

Answer 40

Gluconeogenesis - production of glucose by the liver from non-carbohydrate sources

Question 41

What is a non-carbohydrate source that is used in glucose production?

Answer 41

Propionate