Animal Digestive Systems: Ruminant Digestive System Created By Megan Peterson, Utah State 2010-2011

Ruminant Digestive System Objectives List the parts of the Ruminant Digestive System Describe the functions of each of the parts of the Ruminant Digestive system Label the parts of the Ruminant Digestive System

A Brief Overview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWg1u1bUKNc

What is a Ruminant Digestive System? Having a stomach divided into four compartments and chewing a cud consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.

Who Has a Ruminant Stomach? Cattle Camels Sheep Alpaca Goats Llamas Deer Wildebeest Giraffe Antelope Bison Pronghorn Yaks Nilgai Water Buffalo Elk Moose

Why is a ruminant system needed? Ruminants can digest roughages that contain large amounts of fiber, such as: Hay Silage Grass Haylage

Why is a ruminant system needed? They are able to use resources that are not in demand by humans but in turn provide us with a vital food source. Ruminants are also useful in converting renewable resources from pasture into other products for human use such as hides, fertilizer, and other inedible products

Mouth and Esophagus The mouth and teeth breaks, cuts and tears up the feed Saliva contains enzymes, which speed up the digestive process Transports feed to stomach, and cud to mouth

Rumen Solid part of the food goes here Largest of the 4 compartments Solid feed is mixed and partially broken down by bacteria Storage, soaking, physical mixing and breakdown, fermentation

Interior of the Rumen

Reticulum Bacterial action breaks feed farther down Walls contract simultaneously with the rumen, forcing the feed back up to be chewed and swallowed again. The “hardware” stomach Hardware stomach because it catches metal and hardware

Interior of the Reticulum-honeycomb shape

Why does it seem like Cows are always chewing? Once swallowed, the food goes to the rumen, where it is mixed with chemicals and softened. This softened food is called the cud, small balls of food. Cattle chew their cud about 6-8 times per day!

Omasum Small compartment that acts as a filter of materials for the abomasum Grinding action on feed and removes some of the water Hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are mixed with feed

Interior of the Omasum

Abomasum The “true” stomach Secretes gastric juices that digest the microbes passed on from the rumen

Interior of the Abomasum

Small Intestine Partly digested feed that leaves the stomach enters the small intestine. It is an acid, semi-fluid, gray, pulpy mass. This material is called chyme. In the small intestine, the chyme is mixed with three digestive juices: pancreatic juices, bile, and intestinal juice.

Large Intestine Continued fermentation and secretion

Relay Race! Line up with your team When the “go” word is given, the first person in line will pick up one of the descriptors and race to the categories. Place the descriptor with the category that you think it matches with best The next person in line can’t begin until the person before them slaps their hand

Animal Science Idol! In pairs, come up with a 30-60 second song that takes us through the ruminant digestive system Rap it! Rhyme it! Sing opera! Give us some country twang! Be creative!