Question

Explain the process of digestion in ruminant animals

Answer 1

Digestion in ruminants is a good example of symbiosis.
Microorganisms present in the stomach of ruminants help in digesting cellulose and in turn obtain shelter and nourishment form the animal. A symbiotic relationship exists between microorganisms and the ruminants. As rumen is full, the food is taken into second part of the stomach, the reticulum.Digestive juices of the reticulum partially digest the food. The partially digested food in the reticulum is called as cud.While resting, cow brings back the cud into the mouth for regurgitation.Food is chewed completely and swallowed into omasum for further digestion.Then the food moves into abomasum for digestion brought about by digestive juices.A large sac-like structure called the caecum lies between the small and large intestines.The symbiotic bacteria present in the caecum help in complete digestion of cellulose. Digestion of food is completed in the intestine.As the symbiotic bacteria are not present in the human digestive system, humans cannot digest cellulose.

Answer 2

Digestion in grass eating Animals :

The grass eating animals such as Cow, Buffaloes, Horse etc. swallow half chewed grass quickly and store it in a part of their stomach called rumen.

Here, the food gets partially digested, which is called Cud. When the animals are not eating, the Cud return to the mouth in small lumps and is chewed again. This process is called rumination.

Those animals are called ruminants. Ruminants have four chamber in their stomach, i.e., Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum and Abomasum.