Digestive System

Purpose: reduce feed particles to molecules that can be absorbed into the blood

Mechanical breakdown of food

–chewing

Chemical breakdown of food

–HCl in the stomach

–enzymes

Contractions of digestive tract

Monogastrics or non-ruminants

Ruminants

Monogastric – one or simple stomach structure

Mostly carnivores and omnivores

Very simple: Humans, Pigs and dogs

Modified Monogastrics (Have Cecums): horse, rabbit or rat

Ruminant - 4 compartment stomach with the compartments before the “true” stomach

Herbivores: cattle, sheep, goats

Prehension

Bringing the food to the mouth

Upper limbs, head, beak, claws, mouth, teeth and lips

Mastication or chewing

To crush the food, increase surface area and allow enzymes to act on molecules

Carnivores need only to reduce the size of the particle

Herbivores must chew continuously (40-50,000 times a day

Basic anatomy

mouth

stomach

small intestine

large intestine or colon

Feed passes from the mouth to the stomach through the esophagus

To reduce the size of the feed particles

From the stomach it passes through the

Duodenum (first part of the small intestine)

Bile and pancreatic secretions enter here

Jejunum (second part of the small intestine) ------------------Absorption of nutrients

Ileum (third part of the small intestine)

To split food molecules and absorb nutrient

Mouth

Esophagus

Rumen 

Reticulum

Omasum

Abomasum

Small intestine ---> Large Intestine