AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Pseudo-ruminants have a three-chamber stomach in the digestive system. However, their cecum-a pouched organ at the beginning of the large intestine containing many microorganisms that are necessary for the digestion of plant materials-is large and is the site where the roughage is fermented and digested.

Detailed explanation-2: -Microbes digest about 30 to 50 percent of the fiber units, cellulose and hemicellulose, in the rumen. Sixty percent or more of the starch is degraded depending on the amount fed and how fast ingested materials move through the rumen. Most sugars get completely digested within the rumen.

Detailed explanation-3: -A pseudo-ruminant is an animal that eats large amounts of roughages but does not have a four-compartment stomach. A pseudo-ruminant animal can utilize roughages because of an enlarged cecum and large intestine.

Detailed explanation-4: -Pseudo-ruminants eat forages as well as grains. The main parts of a pseudo-ruminant’s digestive system include the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, cecum and rectum.

Detailed explanation-5: -The cecum is a large blind pouch at the beginning of the large intestine, approximately 3 feet long with a 2-gallon capacity in the mature cow. The cecum serves little function in a ruminant, unlike its role in horses. The colon is the site of most of the water absorption in the large intestine.