Monogastric Digestive System

  • Monogastric Animals
      * Pigs
      * Rats
      * Bears
      * Dogs
      * Cats
      * Humans
  • Digestive System of the Cat

   

  • Monogastric Digestion
      * Food is ingested via the mouth
        * Food breaks down into smaller particles through chewing
        * Saliva is mixed with food to begin the digestive process
      * Food then travels down the pharynx (throat)
      * Food enters the esophagus
        * Peristalsis (wavelike contractions) propels food into the stomach
      * The stomach has thick muscular walls and hydrochloric acid to break food down even further. Both chemical and mechanical digestion occur in the stomach
      * Food then enters the small intestine (“Small” refers to the diameter. It is longer than the large intestine.
        * Three parts prepare food for the body: duodenum (food breakdown), jejunum (nutrient absorption), ileum (nutrient absorption)
        * Enzymes via the pancreas and bile via the liver and gall bladder are secreted to further break down the food