Digestion in Ruminants
The Four-Chambered Stomach
Grass Eater Strategy
Ruminants like cows and buffaloes swallow grass quickly and store it in the Rumen. They have specialized bacteria to digest complex cellulose.
Key Points
- Cud: Partially digested food that is sent back to the mouth.
- Rumination: The process of chewing the cud again.
- Rumen: First chamber where anaerobic bacteria live.
- Abomasum: The 'true stomach' where enzymes act on food.
Olympiad Fact
Humans cannot digest cellulose (plant fiber) because we lack the rumen and the specific bacteria that produce the 'cellulase' enzyme.