Ruminants

• Digestion in ruminants


  1. Remaining grass passes to the reticulum

  2. Grass is reformed into a cud

  3. Cud is regurgitated

  4. Cud is re-chewed to increase surface area

  5. Cud is swallowed again
• Digestion in ruminants (continued)

  1. Cud passes to the omasum

  2. Organic acids are absorbed into the blood
• Digestion in ruminants (continued)

  1. Material passes to the abomasum (true stomach)

  2. Acid kills the bacteria

  3. Pepsin begins digestion of the bacteria
• Digestion in ruminants (continued)

  Water is absorbed in the large intestine in a similar way as in humans
• • Remaining grass passes to the reticulum where it is reformed into a cud, which is regunitated, re-chewed to increase the surface area for the action of the bacterial cellulases before being swallowed again.
  • The cud now passes to the omasum, where organic acids are absorbed into the blood.
  • Finally the material passes to the abomasum (true stomach) where acid kills the bacteria and pepsin begins the digestion of the bactería.
  • Water is absorbed in the large intestine in a similar way as in humans.