Although cows only have one stomach, it is divided into four compartments: Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum, and Abomasum.
Ruminating cows spend a lot of time grazing and chewing cud. But, how does all that chewing break down grass? It turns out that it isn’t, and they must go through a lengthy process to break down the grass they’ve chewed into cud. Continue reading to learn why a cow has so many stomachs.
Ruminating Animals: What Are They?
Ruminant animals are herbivores who eat stems, grasses, and other herbaceous materials. They have a complicated digestive system that allows them to break down food into simpler compounds and use the chemical components to sustain themselves. The plants that ruminants eat are heavy in cellulose. It can only be utilized due to the anatomy of these animals’ digestive systems, which further includes specialized microorganisms.
Rumination is the act of chewing over a meal that’s already been swallowed. In this case, the food is mixed with saliva and gently chewed before being sent down the esophagus and into the stomach. Yet, the larger particles are regurgitated into the mouth, where they are chewed again and then re-ingested.
The Digestive System of a Cow
Cows may ingest 70 kg of grass per day in 8 hours. They can do so because of their unique anatomical and physiological digestive system. Let’s take a peek at a cow’s digestive system before we look at its stomach and chambers.
The cow’s digestive system consists of the following components
Mouth
A mouth with a powerful tongue and teeth. The rough texture of the tongue is due to the presence of several papillae. Their tongue is likewise lengthy, as it has an apprehensive role. So it rolls the grass in the mouth, introduces it, and cuts it with the lower incisor teeth, gently smashing it and acquiring the grass. This method is performed multiple times till the mass reaches around 100 g. This is then combined with saliva to produce a bolus, which is swallowed.
Cow saliva is generated in huge quantities by many glands that secrete various compounds to help in the soaking of the pasture and chewing. And also to regulate the pH of the bolus during digestion.
Esophagus
The bolus, has already been lightly chewed and combined with saliva. It travels via the pharynx and into the esophagus before being carried to the stomach.
Stomach
The stomach is a sac-like organ that runs from the esophagus to the duodenum. It is made up of various components, which we shall examine later, and it is home to a wide variety of specialized microorganisms that are important to the digestion of a cow.
Why Do Cows Have So Many Stomachs?
Cows are assumed to have four stomachs by many people. A few even claim to have four or seven stomachs. This is a pure fabrication. Cows have only one stomach, in contrast to the popular notion. But it is separated into four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Cows have this stomach and digestive system because they are ruminant animals that eat a lot of grass and require a digestion mechanism that can enable them to break down and absorb all of the nutrition they require.
All of these compartments play a crucial role in the digestive process of a cow, supporting them in breaking down their meal and getting all of the nutrients they need. Now that we’ve debunked the myth about how many stomachs cows have, let’s look at why they have four compartments and what each one does.
Four Parts of a Cow’s Stomach
So, what is the purpose of a cow’s stomach having four compartments? Let’s look at each compartment and its purpose:
Rumen
bacteria can be found in this compartment, which begins the fermentation of the food bolus to alter it. The biggest of the compartments, with a capacity of up to 200 liters, is this one. The rumen walls have already absorbed some fermentation products, which then enter the bloodstream. Other substances that aren’t fermented are converted into proteins that the animal consumes. The food can stay in this area for up to 48 hours, depending on how watery it is.
Reticulum
This chamber holds the food and transports it back to the cow’s mouth once it has been digested in the rumen segment.
Omasum
This compartment is regarded as a booklet since it is made up of many folds. The omasum’s job is to absorb extra moisture from the feed so that it reaches the next structure as concentrated as possible and the enzymes involved in digestion aren’t diluted.
Abomasum
It’s the animal’s stomach that you’re looking at. Because of the strong acidity in this location, all of the microorganisms that were digesting the food are digested here, halting the fermentation. Food is chemically digested by the production of hydrochloric acid and pepsin, which favors the processing of proteins that have arrived in the area. This is the final compartment through which the food will pass before reaching the small intestines, where it will be stripped of all its nutrients.
Cows Also Have the Following Digestive Parts
Small Intestine
All of the food’s nutrients will be removed here. The meal will travel to the small intestine after being digested by the four compartments of a cow’s stomach.
Caecum
The caecum is where undigested food goes.
Large Intestine
The elements that have not yet been digested will be processed by a smaller population of microbes in the large intestine. This will undergo a second fermentation to extract as many nutrients as possible.
Colon
The cow’s colon is where water and nutrients are absorbed to make feces, which is then removed through the rectum canal.
Bottom Line
If you’ve ever seen cows on a farm, they appear to spend too much time grazing. It’s true! Every day, a cow can spend up to six hours eating. You can see why this process takes so long that now you understand what comes within the four compartments of a cow’s stomach.
