Digestive System
Cattle Sheep and Goats
Rumen
Rumen
- The rumen is the largest of the four stomach compartments in a cattle, sheep and goats. This part of the stomach can hold up to 40-50 gallons in cattle and 5 gallons in goats. The rumen is on the left side of the cattle, sheep, and goat and it is divided into multiple sacs. This is where the fatty acids in food are absorbed by the cow's stomach.
- This part of the stomach is similar to a pouch. It is toward the front of the stomach. In reality, this section is not entirely separate from the rumen. This is where all the heavy or dense food drops and the nutrients are absorbed. It is also where any foreign objects eaten by the cattle, sheep, and goat will be absorbed into its body, potentially causing fatal infections.
- This part of the stomach is called the omesum or "manyplies." It contains a multitude of thin, leaf-like structures. This part of the stomach acts to absorb the water from digested material, called ingest, and dries out the food using the leaves. It also absorbs any other useful nutrients from the ingest.
- This is often referred to as the "true stomach" of the cattle, sheep and goat. This is because it is the only one with a glandular lining. This makes it closest to the average mammal's stomach. This is the part of the stomach that uses various chemicals to break down the food for easier passing.
- Aside from the stomach, the digested food is also passed through the intestines. This works similar to the intestines of a non-ruminant animal. The small intestines absorb any nutrients that might be helpful to the cow which the stomach did not previously absorb. The small intestines then connect to the large intestines through the cecum, which breaks down any food that is still too big to pass.
Pig
A pig has a non-ruminant type of a digestive system, which is also known as mono-gastric digestive system. This basically means that a pig has a single stomach and not multiple stomachs like cattle or sheep which are ruminants. The stomach of the pig is not divided into chambers. Hence, the pig has to be feed on grains in order to facilitate easy digestion.
The digestive system of a pig is used to break down the food that is consumed by the animal. As the food moves along the system, it is broken down in smaller and smaller particles and thereafter these tiny or minute particles are absorbed by the body. The remaining particles are eliminated from the body in the form of feces and urine.
A pig's digestive system is composed of 5 parts, namely the mouth, esophagus, stomach, the intestines. When the pig consumes food, it is first chewed in the mouth. The saliva secreted by the mouth helps to soften as well as moisten the food. In addition, the saliva has an enzyme that helps to begin the digestion of the starch contained in the food. The tongue is responsible for directing the food towards the esophagus.
The esophagus is a tube-like structure that connects the mouth and the stomach. In the esophagus, a series of contractions takes place that helps to direct the food towards the stomach. Where the esophagus joins the stomach, there is a valve that stops the food from moving backwards into the esophagus.
In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are secreted by the lining of the stomach wall. These help to chemically breakdown the food to smaller particles. It is here that the food is broken down into fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Some of the nutrients are absorbed by the stomach and they enter the bloodstream. The nutrients that cannot be absorbed are then pushed into the pyloric valve, and thereafter into the small intestine.
The small intestine of the pig is shaped like a spiral and it contain several finger like protrusions called villi. These villi aid in increasing the surface area of the small intestine. The cells lining the small intestine wall also secrete enzymes that help in breaking down the food particles further and facilitating absorption of nutrients. The first part of the small intestine is known as duodenum. It is here that the secretions by the liver and pancreas enter the digestive system. The liver secretions help to digest fat, while the pancreatic secretions help to digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The nutrients from the food are actually absorbed in the jejunum and ileum, which are the 2nd and 3rd part of the small intestine. The food that has not been digested is then pushed to the large intestine via the ileocecal valve.
The large intestine in the pig begins with the cecum. The large intestine is shorter in size compared to the small intestine, but it has a bigger diameter. In this part of the digestive system, water is absorbed from the remaining undigested food and the waste material that is to be eliminated from the body in the form of feces is accumulated. Though some nutrients are absorbed in the large intestine, it is mainly for storing the waste material that will ultimately form the feces. In this part of the digestive system, mucus is added to the undigested food. The mucus helps to lubricate the movement of the undigested food. With help of muscle contractions, the food is then pushed into the last part of the large intestine known as the rectum.
From the rectum, the undigested food is pushed towards the anus. Via the anus the feces is eliminated from the body.
A pig has a non-ruminant type of a digestive system, which is also known as mono-gastric digestive system. This basically means that a pig has a single stomach and not multiple stomachs like cattle or sheep which are ruminants. The stomach of the pig is not divided into chambers. Hence, the pig has to be feed on grains in order to facilitate easy digestion.
The digestive system of a pig is used to break down the food that is consumed by the animal. As the food moves along the system, it is broken down in smaller and smaller particles and thereafter these tiny or minute particles are absorbed by the body. The remaining particles are eliminated from the body in the form of feces and urine.
A pig's digestive system is composed of 5 parts, namely the mouth, esophagus, stomach, the intestines. When the pig consumes food, it is first chewed in the mouth. The saliva secreted by the mouth helps to soften as well as moisten the food. In addition, the saliva has an enzyme that helps to begin the digestion of the starch contained in the food. The tongue is responsible for directing the food towards the esophagus.
The esophagus is a tube-like structure that connects the mouth and the stomach. In the esophagus, a series of contractions takes place that helps to direct the food towards the stomach. Where the esophagus joins the stomach, there is a valve that stops the food from moving backwards into the esophagus.
In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are secreted by the lining of the stomach wall. These help to chemically breakdown the food to smaller particles. It is here that the food is broken down into fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Some of the nutrients are absorbed by the stomach and they enter the bloodstream. The nutrients that cannot be absorbed are then pushed into the pyloric valve, and thereafter into the small intestine.
The small intestine of the pig is shaped like a spiral and it contain several finger like protrusions called villi. These villi aid in increasing the surface area of the small intestine. The cells lining the small intestine wall also secrete enzymes that help in breaking down the food particles further and facilitating absorption of nutrients. The first part of the small intestine is known as duodenum. It is here that the secretions by the liver and pancreas enter the digestive system. The liver secretions help to digest fat, while the pancreatic secretions help to digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The nutrients from the food are actually absorbed in the jejunum and ileum, which are the 2nd and 3rd part of the small intestine. The food that has not been digested is then pushed to the large intestine via the ileocecal valve.
The large intestine in the pig begins with the cecum. The large intestine is shorter in size compared to the small intestine, but it has a bigger diameter. In this part of the digestive system, water is absorbed from the remaining undigested food and the waste material that is to be eliminated from the body in the form of feces is accumulated. Though some nutrients are absorbed in the large intestine, it is mainly for storing the waste material that will ultimately form the feces. In this part of the digestive system, mucus is added to the undigested food. The mucus helps to lubricate the movement of the undigested food. With help of muscle contractions, the food is then pushed into the last part of the large intestine known as the rectum.
From the rectum, the undigested food is pushed towards the anus. Via the anus the feces is eliminated from the body.
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