Animal Digestion and Metabolism

Flashcards covering the key vocabulary and concepts related to digestion and metabolism in animals, based on the lecture notes provided.

Mastication/Deglutition

The initial steps in digestion involving the breakdown of feed particles.

Rumen

A specialized compartment in ruminant animals where fermentation of feed occurs.

Glandular Stomach

The part of the stomach where digestive enzymes and acids are secreted to break down food.

Pancreas

An organ that secretes enzymes for digestion and hormones for metabolism control.

Liver

An organ involved in nutrient absorption, filtration of blood, and synthesis of bile.

Small Intestine

The primary site for nutrient absorption into the circulation.

Colon

The large intestine, responsible for absorption of water and electrolytes.

Cecum

A pouch connected to the junction of the small and large intestines, involved in fermentation, especially in hindgut fermenters.

Enzymes

Organic (protein) catalysts that facilitate the breakdown of complex nutrients.

Salivary Amylase (Ptyalin)

An enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch into maltose.

Pepsin

An enzyme in the stomach that digests proteins into polypeptides.

Chymotrypsin (Rennin)

A protease in young animals that aids in protein digestion.

Lipase

An enzyme that breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

Intrinsic Factor

A substance in the stomach that aids in the absorption of vitamin B12.

Trypsin

A protease secreted by the pancreas for protein digestion.

Chymotrypsin

A protease secreted by the pancreas for protein digestion.

Carboxypeptidase

A protease secreted by the pancreas for protein digestion.

Bile Salts

Emulsifiers secreted by the liver that aid in solubilizing fats for better digestion and absorption.

Micelles

Structures that aid in the absorption of digested fats.

Cholecystokinin

A hormone that stimulates the contraction of the gall bladder when the stomach is filled.

Aminopeptidase

An enzyme in the small intestine that further breaks down nutrients.

Dipeptidase

An enzyme in the small intestine that further breaks down nutrients.

Nucleases

Enzymes that break down DNA and RNA into their components in the small intestine.

Maltase

An enzyme that breaks down maltose into glucose.

Lactase

An enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose.

Sucrase

An enzyme that breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose.

Enterocytes

Intestinal cells that absorb small nutrient molecules.

Microvilli

Small projections that increase the surface area of the intestine to facilitate absorption.

Chylomicrons

Packages of triglycerides that are released into the lymphatic system during lipid absorption.

Portal Vein

The vein that transports nutrients from the intestines to the liver.

Hindgut Fermenters

Animals with a large cecum and colon where fermentation occurs.

Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs)

Acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, produced during fermentation of cellulose.

Foregut Fermenters

Animals with a rumen where fermentation occurs before the small intestine.

Rumen Microbes

Bacteria, protozoa, and fungi that breakdown and synthesize macronutrients in the rumen.

Intake Protein (IP)

Dietary protein consumed by the animal.

Degradable Protein (RDP/DIP)

Protein broken down to amino acids by proteolytic bacteria in the rumen.

Undegradable Protein (UDP/UIP)

Protein that passes to the abomasum without being broken down in the rumen.

Microbial Protein (MCP/BCP)

Protein synthesized by microbes in the rumen.

Omasum

A compartment in the ruminant digestive system responsible for water absorption.

Abomasum

The true stomach in ruminant animals, similar to the stomach in monogastric species.

Metabolism

The set of chemical processes that occur in an organism to maintain life.

Anabolic Pathways

Synthetic metabolic pathways that build complex molecules from simpler ones.

Catabolic Pathways

Breakdown metabolic pathways that degrade complex molecules into simpler ones.

Gluconeogenesis

The synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.

Glycolysis

The breakdown of glucose to pyruvate.

Lipogenesis

The synthesis of fatty acids.

Beta-oxidation

The breakdown of fatty acids.

Citric Acid Cycle (TCA cycle, Kreb’s cycle)

A central metabolic pathway that generates energy and links nutrient anabolic and catabolic pathways.

Glycogenesis

The synthesis of glycogen from glucose for storage.

Deamination

The removal of nitrogen from amino acids during catabolism.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The process of generating ATP using oxygen and NADH/FADH2.

Feedback Inhibition

A mechanism of metabolic control where the end product of a pathway inhibits an earlier step in the pathway.