The ruminants bring back swallowed grass into their mouth and chewit for some time.
Answers
Ruminants have a very special type of digestive system. A four-chambered stomach is a peculiar characteristic of these animals. Let’s know more about it. The main components of their digestive system include:
Mouth: The mouth lacks any enzymes and just chews as well as softens the food.
Esophagus: It directs the movement from mouth to the rumen.
Rumen: This is the part that distinguishes the ruminants from others. It is a large sac-like structure that is present in between the oesophagus and the small intestine. Food is stored here temporarily after which it returns to the mouth for chewing. It returns to the mouth by a process called antiperistalsis.You can see the ruminant lying down quietly and chewing on the cud. The food then passes down to the reticulum after getting chewed
Reticulum: The bacteria present here ferment the food.It separates finely ground material from coarse ones as well as retains the hard pieces of wood.
Omasum: It has parallel leaf-like components with rough surfaces. It is mainly responsible for absorption of water. Food gets ground more finely
Abomasum: Breakdown of proteins takes place here with the help of enzymes. It passes on to the small intestine where rest of the digestion takes place just like humans.
The ruminants have a complex system of digestion and when they eat food they are unable to chew the food properly at first and they transfer it to the rumen in order to digest cellulose and soften it.
Afterwards, the food is brought back into the mouth and the cow or any other ruminant keeps on chewing it until and unless the food break downs completely.