Digestion in Grass Eating Animals


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Digestion in Grass Eating Animals

Cellulose is an important component in the diet of herbivorous animals. It is present in the cell wall of plant cells. Humans cannot digest cellulose. Grass eating animals like the cow, ox, buffalo and sheep swallow the food without chewing. After feeding, they bring the food from the stomach back into the mouth and chew it leisurely. This process is called rumination, and such animals are called ruminants. These animals quickly swallow the grass and store it in a part of stomach called rumen. The food is not chewed completely. This partially digested food or grass present in the rumen of cow is called cud. This cud is brought back into the mouth of the cow from the rumen into small lumps and animal chews it again.

When this cud is thoroughly chewed in the mouth of the cow, it is swallowed again. This time the chewed cud does not go back to rumen but enter into the other compartments of cow’s stomach and then into the small intestine  for complete digestion and absorption of food. The cellulose digesting bacteria are not present in the body of human being, therefore human beings and other carnivore cannot digest cellulose present in plant food items. The stomach of a ruminant is divided into four chambers - the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. Among these, the rumen is the largest. The partially digested food in the rumen is called cud. Micro-organisms present in the stomach of the cow help digest the cellulose. Digestion in ruminants is a good example of symbiosis.

Ruminants eat 2 kinds of food. They eat grains and roughage. A typical food mix consist of corn, soyabean meal calcium, vitamin A, D, E and extra fat for energy.

                       

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Sample Questions
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Question : 1

_________________  is an important component in the diet of herbivorous animals.

Right Option : C
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Question : 2

Humans cannot digest _________________ .

Right Option : C
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Question : 3

The stomach of a ruminant is divided into _________________  chamber in present

Right Option : A
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