AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -This is true, but cows are able to voluntarily “un-swallow” their food. This process of swallowing, “un-swallowing”, re-chewing, and re-swallowing is called “rumination, ” or more commonly, “chewing the cud.” Rumination enables cows to chew grass more completely, which improves digestion.

Detailed explanation-2: -The unchewed food travels to the first two stomachs, the rumen and the reticulum, where it is stored until later. When the cow is full from this eating process, she rests. Later, the cow coughs up bits of the unchewed food called cud and chews it completely this time before swallowing it again.

Detailed explanation-3: -Cows regurgitate these bits of cud back into their mouths, where they then chew them completely.

Detailed explanation-4: -Instead, they just partially chew the plant in hurry and gulp them together. This ingested food is taken back to the mouth from the stomach and chewed once again. This step completes the digestion of the meal that is ingested. Ruminants begin their digestive process by chewing and swallowing their meal.

Detailed explanation-5: -Have you ever noticed that when you see a cow it always seems to be chewing something? The reason is that cows must chew their food twice in order to digest it properly. Cows spend nearly eight hours out of every day chewing their cud. This plus normal chewing of food can total upwards of 40, 000 jaw movements per day.