NutritionAssignment1

Niageria Lusk ANSC 611.001 August 20, 2014

Introduction
Digestion is defined as the process by which feed is broken down in the body into a form that can be absorbed and used or excreted. Absorption (a sub-process of digestion) is taking the digested parts of the feed into the bloodstream. The digestive system includes the parts of the body involved in chewing and digesting feed. Essentially, during digestion, large and complex nutrient molecules are broken down into simpler molecules capable of being used by the organism for food. The type of digestive system determines the type of feed the animal can effectively use. There are two main types of digestive systems that will be discussed—ruminant and monogastric—including their similarities and differences.
Ruminant Digestion
Ruminants have large stomachs (divided into four compartments) and their stomachs are designed for feed to be ingested, eructated (belched), chewed, and swallowed again. The four sections of the ruminant stomach include the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The largest section is the rumen and it is filled with bacteria and other microbes to aid in fermentation. The reticulum is responsible for eructation and it collects foreign objects. The omasum’s role is to filter substances and remove water. The abomasum is responsible for secreting gastric juices. Some accessory organs of the ruminant digestive system include: Mouth, esophagus, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, small intestine, and large intestine. Examples of ruminant species are cattle, goats, sheep, and deer.

Monogastric Digestion
A monogastric digestive system has a simple stomach (one chamber). The ideal forms of feeds for monogastric animals are concentrated feeds, usually grains (large amounts of roughage are not acceptable forms of feed). Examples of monogastric species include: dogs, cats, swine, and humans. The monogastric system include essential organs such as the mouth (mechanical breakdown of feed), esophagus (enzymatic digestion of proteins; liquefies food), pancreas, large intestine, small intestine (chemical enzymatic digestion), pancreas (digestion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins), and liver. The simple stomach secretes low acid to aid in the process of breaking down food and destroying bacteria.
Major Differences
The first major difference between monogastrics and ruminants is the stomach type. The stomach of the monogastric has a single chamber, while the ruminant stomach is four-chambered. The efficiency of the monogastric systems is less than that of the ruminant. During digestion, the ruminant regurgitates their feed and monogastrics don’t regurgitate. Ruminants are strictly herbivores and the diet of the monogastric is not restricted (they eat all types of feed). The ruminant stomach is also larger (and requires more space) than the monogastric stomach. Finally, monogastrics are more abundant in number than ruminants.
Similarities
The most notable similarities of these two digestive systems are that both monogastric and ruminant digest and extract energy from cellulose. This process is limited in monogastric (in the large intestines) and ruminants use the rumen/reticulum. Both systems utilize fat from feed directly. Also, monogastrics utilize protein directly from the feed (this process applies to ruminants, but is limited).
Conclusion
In summary, the ruminant and monogastric digestive systems exhibit more differences than similarities. The major differences in these digestive systems are anatomy, fermentation, and diet. The type of digestive system present in a species will determine the type of feed it can intake and use efficiently.

References http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html http://loudoun.nv.cc.va.us/vetonline/vet111/digestive%20sys/digestive%20lesson.htm http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AN012 http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/~swatland/ch1_1_2.htm http://bhsagriculture.wikispaces.com/Ruminant+and+Monogastric+Digestion What is the difference between Monogastric and Ruminant?
• Monogastrics have a single-chambered stomach, but ruminants have a four-chambered stomach.
• Ruminants are always herbivores while monogastrics show all types of food habits.
• The digestive system of ruminants is more efficient than the monogastric system in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.
• Ruminants regurgitate the ingested food during digestion, but monogastrics do not.
• Ruminants are foregut fermenters while monogastric herbivores are hindgut fermenters.
• The number of monogastric species is higher than ruminant species.

Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-monogastric-and-vs-ruminant/#ixzz3AzqaT5yr