Question

The length of alimentary canal is more in herbivorous animals than in carnivorous animals because
A. Herbivorous diet contains more fat to digest
B. Herbivorous diet contains more protein to digest
C. Herbivorous diet contains more carbohydrates particularly cellulose, which takes more time to digest
D. Herbivorous diet contains more vitamin to digest

Answer 1

Hint: Herbivorous animal’s primary source of food is plants and plants mainly contain cellulose.

Complete answer: Cellulose is difficult to digest. Herbivorous animals are also mammals who find it difficult to digest cellulose and have to depend upon bacteria in their gut for digestion of cellulose.
1. Chewing and churning the food is also important in herbivorous animals so that it becomes easier to destroy the cell wall.
2. Thus herbivorous animals have a longer alimentary canal than carnivorous as the digestion is slower and they acquire fewer nutrients compared to meat.
3. Meat is broken down into amino acids and can be easily absorbed into the gut.
4. Therefore carnivores require a short alimentary canal whereas herbivores require a ling alimentary canal.

Additional information: Herbivorous animals have a unique feature of rumination via which they can take up nutrients from plant based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion and mainly through microbial action.
Carnivores do not require such adaptation as they have sharp pointed incisors and long curved canines which help them in breaking down meat finely and also on breaking down amino acids are released immediately.

 The correct answer is, ( C )

Note: Herbivorous animals have broad flat incisors Which help them in cutting the grass and also for longer chewing movement.