Question

The digestive system of a cow is made up of
A. Oesophagus
B. Small and large intestine
C. 4 chambered stomach
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Herbivorous mammals that take nutrients from the food that is plant-based by the process of fermentation are called ruminants. The reference of the word ruminant is chewed over again.

Complete answer:
A cow is a ruminant animal that possesses a complete digestive system where digestion of food takes place completely.
a) Oesophagus: It is a long tube that is present in cows which helps to push the food forward by its rhythmical contraction.
b) Small and large intestine: Cows eat grasses which contain cellulose in it as a result of which they have a long small intestine.
c) Four chambered stomach: The stomach is categorized into different chambers in ruminants that are:
i. Rumen: This chamber plays a major role in the churning process, cellulose, and hemicellulose digestion. It also plays a major role in the fermentation of bacteria.
ii. Reticulum: This chamber stores large feed particles temporarily.
iii. Omasum: This chamber plays a major role in the absorption of water.
iv. Abomasum: This chamber is the same as the human stomach and plays a major role in protein digestion. It is termed as true stomach.
Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Note: In the stomach of mammals, different chambers are known to perform various functions like storage of food and water, digestion of nutrients, etc. The large food particle is present and is stored in the reticulum for some time. The water is absorbed by the omasum and the digestion of nutrients take place by the abomasum chamber of the stomach.