SPECIES DIGESTION COMPARISON

Species Digestion Comparison

Species Digestion Comparison

Introduction

The aim of this assignment is to evaluate and compare the structure and function of the digestive system in ruminant and non-ruminant animals. The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore. Non-ruminants, meaning that horses do not have a multi-compartment stomach like cattle do. Instead, the horse has a simple stomach, which works the same way as humans. Herbivore means that horses live on a diet of plant material. Equine digestive tract is unique in that it can absorb a part of it feeds the enzyme first in the anterior intestine and enzymes in the gut.

Horse's digestive system really should be regarded as being in two sections. The first section is similar to the pre-caecal digestion monogastric animals such as dog, human or pig. The second part looks more like a cow rumen. This has a profound impact on the way we should think about feeding the horses in our care. However, the horse is neither a dog nor a ruminant or even a direct combination(McLeay, 1999, 119).

Cow advantage in the presence of microbial breakdown of fibrous food in the beginning of the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract), and nutrient absorption can occur throughout the intestine. Dietary protein is not used effectively because of microbial fermentation breaks down protein, plus some carbohydrates.

Unlike a horse in ruminant microbial fermentation occurs after the "mono" as the partition, and not before. It has a big impact on how we should feed the horse and explains in part why the horse and cow differ so much in their power efficiency and compliance.

Non-ruminant Animals

Non-ruminant animals do not regurgitate their food. They are called “monogastrics” which means single-compartment for a stomach. Examples of non-ruminant animals are human beings, pig, dog, cat and horses. Horses are herbivores. There are several ways to distinguish ruminants from non-ruminant animals: Ruminants likely have cloven hooves (however, so do pigs) AND they regurgitate and "chew their cud." That is, cattle, sheep, goats, etc, are all ruminants. If you observe them closely while they are "resting," they will often regurgitate a small bolus of feed/mass of grass (a "cud") and chew it to further break down the feed to digest easier(Duncan 1990, 411).

The Structure of The Digestive System In A Non-Ruminant Species

There is a difference these days how the digestive system is managed in owned horses compared to horses that ran in the wild from years before. Wild horses would have access to forage 24 hours a day where as the modern horse who is managed may live in circumstances quite different to the natural state. Horses need to eat between 16 - 20 hours per day.

The structure of the digestion system starts with the lips where the food enters the mouth, the incisor teeth tear at the food / grass, the tongue then pushes the food to the back of the mouth where the molar teeth grind the food into a 'bolus' (chewed food mixed with saliva) The food is passed over the pharynx ...