4.1 Animal Science

1

100

What is the digestive tract?

The series of organs through which food passes, nutrients are absorbed, and waste is eliminated

200

What is the gastrointestinal tract?

The stomaach and intestine as a functional unit

300

What is enzyme?

A protein that catalyzes chemical reactions in the body, including those involved in dogestion

400

What is the difference between ruminant and monogastric digestive systems?

Ruminant Digestive System:

• Structure: Ruminants have a complex stomach divided into four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.
• Function: They are capable of digesting fibrous plant material through microbial fermentation in the rumen.
• Examples: Cows, sheep, goats.

Monogastric Digestive System:

• Structure: Monogastric animals have a single-chambered stomach.
• Function: They rely on enzymatic digestion rather than microbial fermentation.
• Examples: Humans, pigs, dogs.

500

Which species represent ruminant, monogastric, pseudo-ruminant, and avian digestive systems?

5. Which species represent ruminant, monogastric, pseudo-ruminant, and avian digestion systems?

• Ruminant: Cows, sheep, goats.
• Monogastric: Humans, pigs, dogs.
• Pseudo-ruminant: Camels, alpacas (have a three-chambered stomach).
• Avian: Chickens, ducks, birds.

2

100

What is prehension?

The act f grasping or taking hold of food

200

What is cud?

Partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing

300

What is the rumen?

The first compartment of the ruminant stomach, where microbial fermentation of fibrous plant material occurs.

400

Where does most digestion of food occur?

7. Where does most of the digestion of food occur?

• Monogastric Animals: Most digestion occurs in the small intestine, where enzymes break down nutrients for absorption.
• Ruminants: Initial digestion occurs in the rumen through microbial fermentation, but further digestion and nutrient absorption occur in the small intestine.
• Avian Species: Digestion begins in the proventriculus and gizzard, but most nutrient absorption occurs in the small intestine.

500

What is the difference between a monogastric, ruminant, and avian digestive system?

4. What is the difference between a monogastric, ruminant, and avian digestive system?

Monogastric:

• Single-chambered stomach.
• Enzymatic digestion.

Ruminant:

• Four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum).
• Microbial fermentation.

Avian:

• Crop for storage.
• Proventriculus for enzymatic digestion.
• Gizzard for mechanical digestion.

3

100

What is the abomasum?

The fourth compartment of the ruminant stomach, where enzymatic digestion of food occurs, similar to the monogastric stomach.

200

What is the omasum?

The third compartment of the ruminant stomach, where water and nutrients are absorbed.

300

What is the reticulum?

The second compartment of the ruminant stomach, involved in the formation of cud.

400

Which ruminant stomach compartment works similarly to a horse's cecum, and how are they similar?

The rument and cecum both conduct digestion through microbial, anerobic fermentation. Both are large organs

500

How do different animals digest nutrients?

3. How do different animals digest nutrients?

• Ruminants: Utilize microbial fermentation in the rumen to break down fibrous plant material into volatile fatty acids, which are absorbed and used for energy.
• Monogastrics: Rely on stomach acid and digestive enzymes to break down food into absorbable nutrients.
• Avian Species: Have a unique digestive system with a crop for storage, a proventriculus for enzymatic digestion, and a gizzard for mechanical digestion.

4

100

What is the vent?

The external opening of the cloaca in birds

200

What is the crop?

A pouch in the esophagus of birds where food is stored and softened before digestion.

300

Which digestive organ carries out absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream?

Small intestine

400

What does an avian digestive system have that others do not?

Gizzard

Crop

Cloaca

Vent

Ceca

Proventriculus

500

How do methods of prehension differ among animals?

2. How do methods of prehension differ among animals?

Prehension refers to the way animals grasp and take in food. Different animals have evolved various methods:

• Herbivores: Use their lips, tongue, and teeth to grasp and pull vegetation. For example, cows use their tongue to wrap around grass.
• Carnivores: Use their sharp teeth and claws to capture and tear meat. For example, cats use their teeth to grasp and kill prey.
• Omnivores: Use a combination of methods depending on the type of food. For example, humans use hands and utensils.

5

100

What digestion organs carry out physical breakdown of feed?

Teeth

Gizzard in avians

200

Which digestive organ carries out the chemical breakdown of feed?

stomach 

Abomasum in ruminants

300

Which digestive organ carries out microbial breakdown of feed?

Rumen in ruminants

Cecum in horses

400

What are the 4 compartments of a ruminant digestive system?

Rumen

Reticulum

Omasum

Abomasum

500

Why do ruminants have a multi-chambered stomach?

6. Why do ruminants have a multi-chambered stomach?

Ruminants have a multi-chambered stomach to efficiently break down fibrous plant material through microbial fermentation. This allows them to extract nutrients from cellulose, which is indigestible by monogastric animals.