Question

Explain importance of a microbes living in the rumen for the nutrition of a ruminant?

Answer 1

Microbes--bacteria, fungi, protozoa, bacteriophages and others--are all responsible for the break-down and creating an anaerobic environment--which begets fermentation--to digest the feedstuffs that ruminants consume. They attach themselves to the feed particles in the rumen and literally "attack" the particles by excreting enzymes and, in the case of fungi, produce long strangs of rhizoids which penetrate the highly lignified fibre wall of such material to help the bacteria break down the contents exposed. These micro-organisms essentially feed on what is extruded or allow it to be available for the ruminant to absorb. When they die, they also become a food source by way of protein for the ruminant.