Ruminant Digestion

Concentrate selector

This type of ruminant according to diet selects diets of plants that are highly digestible

Intermediate

This type of ruminant according to diet consume a mixed diet

Grass/roughage eater

This type of ruminant according to diet highly developed fermentation system system that enables them to digest cellulose fractions of plant cell walls.

31%

____% of a ruminant's time is spent feeding on grain.

69%

____% of a ruminant's time is spent feeding on pasture.

Pseudo-ruminant

A ______ is an animal that eats large amounts of roughages but does not have a four-compartments stomach like ruminants.

Camelus dromedarius

Scientific name of Arabian camel

Camelus bactrianus

Scientific name of Bactrian camel

tongue

organ of prehension of cattle

Tongue and lips

organ of prehension of goats

Teeth

organ of prehension of sheep which it uses to sort feed

Prehension

to gather food and move it into the mouth

Mastication

to chew food into smaller particles when an animal grinds and chews with teeth

Mastication

mechanical digestion of food by chewing

Rumination

the regurgitation

cud

mass of regurgitated ingesta; otherwise known as bolus

Esophagus

It connects the mouth and the stomach of the animal

Reticulum

smallest compartment of the compound stomach (~5%)

Reticulum

This compartment of the compound stomach is not completely separated from the rumen

Reticulum

Site for hardware disease

traumatic reticulopericarditis

Other term for hardware disease

Rumen

This is the largest compartment of the compound stomach (~80%) located at the left side of the animal. In the cow

Papillae

the small

Gas phase

This layer of nutrients in the rumen is the top layer.

Fiber mat

This layer of nutrients in the rumen is the middle layer where roughage floats on top of the liquid layer. Some microbes live here and help digest food. When they itch the wall of the rumen

Liquid phase

This layer of nutrients in the rumen is the bottom layer where most microbes live.

Acetic acid (Acetate)

most of this VFA comes from cellulose; it is important to milk fat in dairy cows

Propionic Acid (Propionate)

this VFA mostly comes from starch

Butyric Acid (Butyrate)

this VFA is derived from Acetic acid

Fistulated steer

A hole is surgically placed in the rumen of a cow to allow scientists to study it

Omasum

It is the second smallest compartment in the compound stomach of the ruminant

Omasum

this compartment in the compound stomach of the ruminant has many folds which increase its surface area thus allowing it to absorb more water.

Abomasum

this compartment in the compound stomach of the ruminant is the second largest compartment (~8-9%)

Abomasum

this compartment in the compound stomach of the ruminant is known as the true stomach and is most similar to the stomach of monogastrics

Abomasum

this compartment in the compound stomach of the ruminant is the first glandular portion of the ruminant digestive tract where enzymatic digestion happens

HCl

This secretion of the abomasum is responsible for activating the pepsinogen proenzyme

Rennin

This secretion in the abomasum digests milk

lips

Used by sheep to sort feed