Page 57 - Biology Form Two

Biology for Secondary Schools

returned into the mouth. Examples gall bladder. Their stomach is divided
of ruminant animals are goats, cattle, into four compartments that are rumen,
sheep, antelopes, and giraffes. reticulum, omasum, and abomasum,
as shown in Figure 2.7. The first three
The digestive system of ruminants is
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divided into different parts which are sections are known as ‘false stomach’
mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, rumen, because they are merely an extension of

reticulum, omasum, abomasum, the oesophagus and they do not secrete
duodenum, ileum, colon, caecum, the gastric juice. The fourth section,
appendix, rectum, and anus. The abomasum, is the only true stomach of
associated organs and glands are the the ruminants because it secretes gastric
salivary glands, liver, pancreas, and juice.

Small intestine Oesophagus
Direction of food

Reticulum

Rumen Abomasum

Omasum

Figure 2.7: Parts of the ruminant stomach

Digestion in a ruminant starts in the the rumen is coarse and greenish. The
mouth when plant material is eaten and rumen is the largest part of the three
partly chewed by the teeth. The partly chambers of the ruminant stomach.
chewed food is mixed with saliva Hence, it can store a large amount of
from the salivary glands and then food at a time. In the rumen, there are
rolled into a bolus by the tongue. This bacteria that act upon the swallowed
partly chewed and rolled food is then food and digest the cellulose contained
swallowed through the oesophagus. in the plant materials. Figure 2.8 shows
It then enters the rumen where it is the internal structure of the ruminant’s
temporarily stored. The food stored in digestive system.

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