Omnivores and Carnivores final Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the digestive processes of omnivores and carnivores, as discussed in the lecture.

Omnivore dental structure

have teeth designed to eat a bit of everything and Some form of canine teeth. Overall, they have a mix of different dental structures (incisors, canines, premolars, molars).

carnivore dental structure

have incisors in front and large canines. Some premolars for further ripping and not many molars.

dog domestication

changed their diet from carnivore to omnivore.

obligate carnivores

they have a very limited ability to digest starch bc they have very low production of amylase

ruminants differences from hindgut fermenters 

they can digest plants BEFORE material gets to their stomach and they can get proteins from microbes

hindgut differences from ruminants

digest plants AFTER their stomach. Stomach does conventional work of an omnivore, but hindgut does microbial fermentation

bird dental structure

birds lack teeth, but instead they peck at food to break it down and swallow it. gizzards grind the food for digestion.

how does cellulose impact digestion pace

For omnivores there isn’t an efficient method to extract nutrients from cellulose. Since it cannot be broken down, it slows down the pace of digestion for omnivores and carnivores. Slows the rate of passage to a more constant rate. Cellulose will pass through some part slower

omnivore cellulose digestion

the cecum, or appendix for humans, is a small part of digestion system and is not equipped to digest large amounts of cellulose. Large intestine is not an effective plant fermentation site. Some VFAs are produced, but it is not sufficient for energy extraction, leading to slower digestion.

how can omnivores digest cellulose easier?

cellulose can become more digestible if proteins are denatured through the heat of cooking/baking. Another way is grounding up plant material so it’s more accessible to digestive system

humans cannot produce these nutrients for themselves

Vitamins (only one we can make comes from environment)

Amino acids

Minerals

gluconeogenesis

Converts amino acids from proteins to glucose

Amino acid is broken down in liver

carbon skeleton converted to pyruvate and then goes backward in the process of glycolysis to create glucose

metabolic cost and impacts of gluconeogenesis

Gluconeogenesis is slow and takes a lot of energy

omnivore nutrient chart connection

omnivores can do every type of nutrient digestion on the chart