Digestive System in Ruminents and Rodents

Herbivores like ruminants and rodents feed on plants which contain a high
percentage of cellulose, a polysaccharide which is extremely insoluble. They
obtain most of their energy from the breakdown of cellulose of plant cell walls.
The enzyme cellulose is required to break down cellulose but is not produced by
these animals. They solve this problem by having digestive systems which are
specially adapted to carry out cellulose digestion.

Ruminants like cows and goats have stomachs which are divided into four
chambers, namely rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasums. This adaptation
enables ruminants to carry out rumination, the process of regurgitating and
rechewing food. The firsts two chambers, the rumen and reticulum, are
specialised compartments which harbour large communities of bacteria and
protozoa. These microorganisms are able to produce cellulose that digests
cellulose.

1. Partially chewed food is passed to the rumen, the largest compartment of

the stomach. Here, cellulose is broken down by the cellulose produced by
bacteria. Part of the breakdown products are absorbed by the bacteria, the
rest by the host.
2. As the food enters the reticulum, the cellulose undergoes further
hydrolysis. The content of the reticulum, called the cud, is then
regurgitated bit by bit into the mouth to be thoroughly chewed. This
process helps soften and break down cellulose, making it more accessible
to further microbial action.
3. The cud is reswallowed and moved to the omasum. Here, large particles of
food are broken down into smaller pieces by peristalsis. Water is removed
from the cud.
4. The food particles finally move into the abomasum, the true stomach of
the cow. Here, gastric juice containing digestive enzymes completes the
digestion of proteins and other food substances. The food then passes
through the small intestine to be digested and absorbed in the normal
way.

In rodents like rabbits and rats, the caecum and appendix are enlarged to store
the cellulose-digesting bacteria. Unlike ruminants, the breakdown products pass
through the alimentary canal of rodents twice. The faeces in the first batch are
usually produced at night. These are then eaten again to enable the animals to
absorb the products of bacterial breakdown as they pass through the alimentary
canal for the second time. The second batch of faeces becomes drier and harder.
This adaptation allows rodents to recover the nutrients initially lost with the
faeces.

Absorption and Assimilation of Digested Food

To enter the body cells, nutrients in the lumen of the small intestine must be
transported across the intestinal lining into the bloodstream. Ileum, the last part
of the small intestine, is the major site of nutrient absorption.
 The wall of the small intestine is covered with epithelial cells that are
specialised to complete digestion and absorb the resulting nutrient molecules.
The small intestine, with a length of about 6m, is the longest section of the
alimentary canal. The intestinal lining is highly folded and covered entirely by
tiny, finger-like projections called villi. The epithelial cells of a villus have a lining
of microscopic projections called microvilli, each about 1µm long. These
collectively form the brush border which further increases the surface area
available for absorption. The epithelial lining is only one cell thick. Each villus
also has a network of blood capillaries and a lymphatic vessel called a lacteal.
Overall, this structural adaptation greatly increases the rate of nutrient
absorption through the intestinal wall.

Absorption of digested food

Nutrient absorption involves both diffusion and active transport. Initially, glucose,
amino acids, water-soluble vitamins and minerals diffuse into the epithelial cells
and are absorbed into the capillaries. Subsequently, the transport of the
remaining nutrients across the epithelial lining involves active transport during
which energy is used.
In contrast, glycerol and fatty acids enter the epithelial cells, where they
recombine to form tiny droplets of lipids, which then move into the lacteals. Fat-
soluble vitamins are also absorbed into the lacteals to be transported together
with lipids.
The lacteals converge into larger vessels of the lymphatic system. The fluid
carrying lipids and fat-soluble vitamins enters the lymphatic system which forms
a network throughout the body. The contents are then drained into the right
lymphatic duct and thoracic duct before being emptied into the bloodstream
through the subclavian veins.
Capillaries that drain water-soluble nutrients away from the villi converge into
the hepatic portal vein, which leads to the liver. From here, the nutrients are
transported to all cells in the body.
About 7 to 8 litres of water from drinks and from various digestive juices enter
the alimentary canal every day. Together with the small intestine, the colon
reabsorbs almost 90% of the water and minerals. In the colon, water and
minerals are reabsorbed into the cells lining the colon, and subsequently into the
bloodstream, so that we do not constantly lose them.