Page 20 - Science Class 07
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called villi (singular-villus). The villi increase NUTRITION IN RUMINANTS
the surface area for absorp on of the digested Grass ea ng animals (herbivores) like cow, deer,
food. ox, buffalo and sheep swallow the food without
The membrane of each villus is folded into a chewing. A er feeding, they bring the food
number of smaller microvilli. The villi have a from the stomach back into the mouth and
rich supply of blood capillaries. Simple sugar chew it. This process is called rumina on, and
and proteins are absorbed through the such animals are called ruminants. Though
intes nal wall into the blood capillaries. These their main diet is plant, they are unable to
are further carried by the portal vein to the digest, because of lack of cellulose breaking
liver before release into the general circula on. enzymes. For this, they maintain a symbio c
rela on with micro-organisms. Microbes help
in breaking down of cellulose (cons tuent of
plant cell wall). Ruminants have one stomach
with four compartments or chambers for
diges on of food.
The ruminants have four chambers in their
stomach. These are:
v Rumen v Re culum
v Omasum v Abomasum
Villi
Assimila on
You have studied that food is absorbed by the
villi and the nutrients are sent to the blood
circula on to distribute the nutrients
throughout the body. Glucose mixes with
oxygen and produce energy while other
nutrients are stored for other func ons. This Digestive System of a Ruminant
process is called assimila on. Ist Phase
The ruminants chew grass hurriedly. This half
chewed grass reaches the first chamber of the
stomach called rumen.
1. What protect the walls of stomach from
In the rumen, bacteria and other micro-
its own secre on of hydrochloric acid?
organisms act upon the food. Therea er, this
2. What is the importance of liver in the food is sent to the next chamber called
diges on of food?
re nculum.
3. What is the func on of bile juice?
IInd Phase
4. Write the structural difference between From the re culum the food, i.e., cud is again
small intes ne and large intes ne.
sent back to the mouth. The ruminants chew it
20 Science-7
