Reticulum
The bacteria present in the rumen start to digest cellulose and gets partially digested. The partially digested food/grass in the rumen of a cow is called cud. After some time, the cud is brought back into the mouth and is chewed thoroughly. That is why, a cow moves its jaws from side to side and chew continuously even when it is not eating grass.
The process by which the cud is brought back from the stomach to the mouth of the animal and chewed again is called rumination. The animals which chew the cud are called ruminants. When the cud is thoroughly chewed in the mouth of the cow, it is swallowed and goes into the other compartments of the cow’s stomach and then into the small intestine for complete digestion and absorption.
However, digestion in human beings starts in the mouth. The mouth contains teeth, tongue and salivary glands. The teeth cut the food into small pieces, chew and grind it. The tongue mixes the food with saliva. The salivary glands secrete a watery liquid called saliva.
The slightly digested food goes into the food pipe or oesophagus by peristalsis. No digestion of food takes place in the oesophagus.
The slightly digested food reaches the stomach through oesophagus for further digestion where it is broken down into smaller pieces. The inner lining of the stomach secretes gastric juice which includes mucus, hydrochloric acid and digestive juices. Mucus protects the lining of the stomach from hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid makes the medium in the stomach acidic to facilitate the digestion of proteins. The digestive juices break down the protein into simpler substances. Then the partially digested food goes into the small intestine.
The small intestine is a very long and narrow tube where complete digestion of food takes place. It receives secretions of liver, pancreas and its own walls. Liver secretes liquid called bile which helps in the digestion of fats and converts them into small droplets. Pancreas secretes pancreatic juice which breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Pancreatic juice also breaks down carbohydrates and proteins into simpler forms. The intestinal juice secreted by the walls of small intestine breaks down the carbohydrates into glucose, proteins into amino acids. Thus, the food gets completely digested in small intestine. Humans cannot digest cellulose.
Meghna Thapar 5 years, 6 months ago
Grass eating animals are called ruminant animals. Example – cow. They have special stomach to digest cellulose present in the grass. Their stomach is large and is divided into four compartments.
The bacteria present in the rumen start to digest cellulose and gets partially digested. The partially digested food/grass in the rumen of a cow is called cud. After some time, the cud is brought back into the mouth and is chewed thoroughly. That is why, a cow moves its jaws from side to side and chew continuously even when it is not eating grass.
The process by which the cud is brought back from the stomach to the mouth of the animal and chewed again is called rumination. The animals which chew the cud are called ruminants. When the cud is thoroughly chewed in the mouth of the cow, it is swallowed and goes into the other compartments of the cow’s stomach and then into the small intestine for complete digestion and absorption.
However, digestion in human beings starts in the mouth. The mouth contains teeth, tongue and salivary glands. The teeth cut the food into small pieces, chew and grind it. The tongue mixes the food with saliva. The salivary glands secrete a watery liquid called saliva.
The slightly digested food goes into the food pipe or oesophagus by peristalsis. No digestion of food takes place in the oesophagus.
The slightly digested food reaches the stomach through oesophagus for further digestion where it is broken down into smaller pieces. The inner lining of the stomach secretes gastric juice which includes mucus, hydrochloric acid and digestive juices. Mucus protects the lining of the stomach from hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid makes the medium in the stomach acidic to facilitate the digestion of proteins. The digestive juices break down the protein into simpler substances. Then the partially digested food goes into the small intestine.
The small intestine is a very long and narrow tube where complete digestion of food takes place. It receives secretions of liver, pancreas and its own walls. Liver secretes liquid called bile which helps in the digestion of fats and converts them into small droplets. Pancreas secretes pancreatic juice which breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Pancreatic juice also breaks down carbohydrates and proteins into simpler forms. The intestinal juice secreted by the walls of small intestine breaks down the carbohydrates into glucose, proteins into amino acids. Thus, the food gets completely digested in small intestine. Humans cannot digest cellulose.
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