Comparative Digestive Anatomy

  • Avian Digestion
      * Food moves from:
        * Mouth/Beak
        * Esophagus
        * Crop
        * Proventriculus
        * Gizzard/Ventriculus
        * Small Intestine
        * Ceca/Colon/Large Intestine
        * Cloaca/Vent
  • Monogastric -- one stomach i.e. dogs, cats, pigs, reptiles, human, rats, mice
      * Food moves from:
        * Mouth
        * Pharynx (throat)
        * Esophagus
        * Stomach
        * Small Intestine
        * Large Intestine/Colon
        * Rectum
  • Pseudoruminants/Cecal and Hindgut Fermenters/Modified Monogastrics -- rabbits, chinchillas, horses, guinea pigs
      * One stomach and an enlarged cecum to assist in digestion of roughage
      * Food moves from:
        * Mouth
        * Pharynx
        * Esophagus
        * Stomach
        * Small Intestine
        * Large Intestine with greatly enlarged cecum
        * Rectum
  • Ruminants -- cattle, goats, sheep
      * Food moves through four stomach compartments
        * Rumen
        * Reticulum
        * Omasum
        * Abomasum
      * Common modified ruminants (three-chambers stomach) are alpacas and llamas
  • Ruminant Digestive System
      * Food moves from
        * Mouth
        * Pharynx (throat)
        * Esophagus
        * Rumen
        * Reticulum
        * Esophagus (cud)
        * Mouth (cud)
        * Back to Rumen/Reticulum
        * Omasum
        * Abomasum
        * Small Intestine
        * Large Intestine/Colon/Cecum
        * Rectum