Comparing Digestive Systems

Comparing the Efficiency of Digestive Systems.

A digestive system is where the food is passed through the animal’s body, as is broken down and used for different and specific reason to the animal. There are 3 main digestive systems; these are Monogastric (carnivore), Hindgut Fermenter and a Ruminant. Each of these digestive systems digests foods using nearly the same organs, but for different functions.

Carnivore vs. Hindgut Fermenter

The hindgut fermenter has a similar digestive system to that of a carnivore, but the hindgut fermenter has to digest large amounts of fibre. This means its digestive track is longer. The carnivore and hindgut fermenter have different teeth; the hindgut fermenter diastema (a space behind the canine and incisor

With the horse being a hindgut fermenter, it has single stomach; it is small compared to its body size (takes up 10% capacity). It is small mainly because the horse eats little and often (forages); also in the stomach of the horse, its food is mixed with an enzyme called pepsin which helps to break down protein (hydrochloric acids which will help to break down solid particles), also there is bacteria in the horses stomach that helps to produce lactic acid. The cow is a ruminant, meaning it has a four chambered stomach; the four chambers are the Rumen, the Reticulum, the Omasum and the Abomasum, in which the rumen is the largest chamber of the stomach. The rumen acts as a storage sack for its food because of the size of it. It also absorbs VFA (volatile fatty acids). The cow’s rumen is a large fermentation vat, where more than 200 bacteria and 20 types of protozoa help the cow to utilize fibrous feedstuffs and non-protein nitrogen sources. The rumen contracts once every minute. The contractions allow mixing the of fluid and solid contents in the rumen to stimulate fermentation and avoid stagnation. Contractions also serve to release gases trapped in either the mat/fluid portion of the ruminal contents (the fermentation gases are then released by belching). Disruption of this process can result in bloating. Feed particles of the correct size and density are separated into the fluid in the reticulum and by the ruminal contractions.

Enzymes break down nutrient molecules into their building blocks. Carbohydrates are broken down into monosaccharides, fats into fatty acids and monoglycerides, nucleic acids into nucleotides and proteins into amino acids. The horse has a small stomach. The horse’s small intestine is the major organ for their digestive system. Pancreatic enzymes are found in their small intestine to aid digestion. There is also protease which aids to emulsify protein and amino acids; also the horse does not have a gall bladder, meaning bile flows constantly into its small intestine; it also aids to break down fats. The foods that are digested are absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and are carried through the blood stream to the cells that need nutrients. I think the cow has the more effective small intestine then the horse has the cow has a gall bladder so bile is not constantly flowing around its body; also it has a valve which prevents a flow back of food, which the horse doesn’t have. The cow also has three sections of its small intestine, even digestion may take longer, it means that the absorption of nutrients and fluids does not all happen at once in one section, as the horse has a small sac for a stomach. For these reasons, I think the cow has the more effective small intestines. The pH value of both of the ruminant and hindgut fermenter’s stomach is