Answer to Question #336102 in Microbiology for rosina

Question

What is the digestive system of a cattle and how it digestive features help it for adaptations? (5)

Answer 1

The cow's digestive tract consists of the mouth, esophagus, a complex four-compartment stomach, small intestine and large intestine.The stomach includes the rumen, reticulum,the omasum and the abomasum. Rumen microorganisms, through the production of enzymes, allow the ruminant animal to use the fiberous portion of these roughages as an energy source. As they digest the cellulose by way of fermentation, their metabolic pathways produce chemicals called volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The cow uses these VFAs as a primary source of energy.