PROCESS OF NUTRITION IN ANIMALS INGESTION = THE ACT OF GETTING, AND EATIND FOOD IS CALLED INGESTION. DIGESTION = THE PROCESS OF BREAK DOWN, OF COMPLEX MOLECULES INTO SIMPLE SOLUBLE ONES, IS CALLED DIGESTION. ABSORPTION = THE DIGESTEDFOOD IS ABSORBED BY THE WALLS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE FROM WHERE IT GETS PASSED ON TO THE BLOOD. ASSIMILATION = THE ABSORBED FOOD IS UTILISED BY THE BODY, FOR GROWTH AND FORMATION, OF BODY PARTS KNOWN AS ASSIMILATION. EGESTION = THE ELIMINATION, OF UNDIGESTED FOOD, FROM THE BODY, IS KNOWN AS EGESTION. NOTE- IN HUMAN BEINGS ALL THESE PROCESS IS HAPPEN IN ALIMENTARY CANAL WHICH IS MADE UP OF DIFFERENT PARTS-
CUD CHEWING Ingestion The food is ingested with the help of the tongue and chewed. Ruminants have sharp incisors and large molars to bite and chew grass. They also have powerful jaw muscles. Digestion After being chewed once, the food passes down the 2 to 3 feet long oesophagus. The oesophagus leads into the stomach. The stomach of ruminants has four chambers: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Rumen: The rumen helps in storing the large quantities of food that has been quickly consumed. The food is partially digested here and is now called the cud. The cud is then brought back to the mouth, re-chewed, and re-swallowed in a process called cud-chewing. The rumen has billions of bacteria and protozoa, which break down the carbohydrate called cellulose found in hay and grass. Reticulum: The reticulum helps in moving the swallowed food back into the mouth for thorough chewing. The reticulum opens into the omasum. Omasum: The omasum absorbs excess water. Abomasum: The walls of the abomasum secrete digestive juices.