Comparative Digestion Systems & Processes
Modified by Ashlee Gibson
The Digestion Process
• Food is broken down• Animals have digestive systems adapted to
the foods that they consume• Four types of digestive systems
– _____________________________________– _____________________________________– _____________________________________– ______________________________________
Ruminant Digestive System
Modified to handle the breakdown of large amounts of
_________________
Ruminant Digestive System
• Mouth– no upper ___________________, hard palate– molars for grinding coarse vegetation– saliva does not contain ___________________
• _______________________________– muscular tube connecting the mouth to the
stomach
Ruminant Digestive Systems
The Four Compartmented Stomach
• Rumen: storage area and _______________________________
• Reticulum: nails and wire may be found here-_____________________ stomach
• Omasum: eliminates excess ___________from feed
• Abomasum: true stomach, _____________ and __________________ are secreted
Ruminant Digestive Systems
Stomach (cont.)
• _______________: first step in rumination– large quantities of roughage are consumed and
are chewed just enough to swallow– after swallowing, regurgitation (“cud chewing”)
takes place, food is re-chewed
Ruminant Digestive System
• Small Intestine– connects stomach to large intestine– ______________________________________– contains bile and pancreatic juices– pushes food through by muscle contractions
Ruminant Digestive System
• Large Intestine– Contains Cecum, Colon and Rectum
• ____________________: sac at junction of small intestine and large intestine
• Colon and rectum: at end of system
– not as long as small intestine, but larger in diameter
– water and some nutrient absorption occurs here– where residue solidifies before excretion
Monogastric Digestive System
Characterized by inability to digest roughage efficiently
Monogastric Digestive System
• Mouth– has upper and lower incisors– ________________________ secreted which
breaks down nutrients
• Esophagus– connects mouth to stomach
Monogastric Digestive System
• Stomach – secretes _________________________ to
break down nutrients– enzymes such as ______________ also
secreted here– churning action mixes food
• Small and Large Intestine• function just as in ruminant systems
Avian Digestive Systems
Characterized by several organs not found in other species that are
adapted for grinding hard or encased food
Avian Digestive Systems
• Mouth – ____________________________________– Salivation excretion ____________________
• Esophagus – has a modification called the _____________
which stores and moistens food– connects mouth and stomach
Avian Digestive Systems
• Stomach– Contains two parts
• _______________________________: same as monogastric stomach and provides digestive excretions
• _______________________________: located after proventriculus, very muscular, used to grind food
Avian Digestive Systems
• Small Intestine– similar functions as in ruminants and monogastric
systems
• Large Intestine– similar functions as in ruminants and monogastric
systems
– _____________________ chamber into which urinary and genital canals open
– ___________________ aids in fiber digestion and absorption
Equine Digestive Systems
Characterized by non-ruminant animals that consume and digest
feeds high in fiber
Equine Digestive Systems
• Mouth – intact top and bottom incisors– molars adapted to chewing fibrous feeds– no digestive enzymes in saliva
• Esophagus– not well adapted for _____________________– connects mouth and stomach
Equine Digestive System
• Stomach– similar to monogastric system
• Small intestine– similar to monogastric and ruminant systems– ____________________ to store bile – enlarged _______________ to aid in fiber
breakdown
Equine Digestive System
• Large Intestine – similar to monogastric systems– _________________________ (at junction of
small and large intestines) and colon take up most of the volume of the equine digestive system