Question

describe the process of digestion ruminants?

Answer 1

IT ANSWER IS IN DETAIL. When ruminant eats, it does not chew the grass but swallows it immediately and stores it until its appetite is satisfied. Then the food is returned to the mouth and the cow chews the cud. When the food is first swallowed, itpasses down and the oesophagus into the first chamber called the rumen. In the rumen, bacteria and protozoa secrete the enzyme cellulase to hydrolyse the cellulose into glucose.The food passes into the second chamber called the reticulum. The bacteria and protozoa in the reticulum continue to hydrolyse the cellulose. When the ruminant is ready to chew the cud, the food is returned to the mouthto be chewed again. Movement of the food from the reticulum is by antiperistalsis of the oesophagus.After the food has been chewed, it is again swallowed but this time, it passes into the third chamber called omasum. The inner surface ofthe omasum has folds to act as sieves. Glucose the product of cellulose digestion, is absorbed and as the food passes into the last chamber, abomasum, it is strained. This is to prevent any big particles from entering the abomasum and damaging it.The abomasum is the true stomach and is the only chamber which secretes gastric juice for digestion of other food substances.