Digestion in Ruminants

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the digestion processes in ruminants as discussed in the lecture.

Ruminants

Animals that have a specialized stomach divided into four compartments: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.

Fermentative Digestion

A process where molecular substrates are broken down by the action of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Enzymatic Hydrolysis

The breakdown of large molecules into smaller ones by the action of enzymes, essential for both fermentative and glandular digestion.

Forestomachs

Specialized compartments in ruminants that facilitate microbial growth and digestion before the stomach and small intestine.

Microbial Mass

The collective population of microbes, including bacteria and protozoa, involved in digestion within the rumen and colon.

Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA)

End products of carbohydrate fermentation that serve as a major energy source for ruminants and other large herbivores.

Symbiotic Interactions

Mutually beneficial relationships between different microbial species during fermentation.

Microbial Protein

Proteins synthesized by microbes from ammonia and other non-protein sources, serving as a protein source for the host animal.

Ammonia

A nitrogenous waste product that can be utilized by microbes to synthesize proteins in the rumen.

Reticulo-Rumen Motility

Complex muscular movements in the rumen necessary for fermentation, including primary (mixing) contractions and secondary (eructation) contractions.

Rumination

The act of re-masticating food that has been ingested, which involves regurgitation and further breakdown by saliva and microbial action.