![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Dehority, B.A. 2002. Gastrointestinal tracts of herbivores, particularly the ruminant: anatomy, physiology and microbial digestion of plants. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 21: 145–160.
The ability of herbivores to utilize forages andplants as their sole energy source is dependent on microorganisms living at various sites within their gastrointestinal tract. Essentially two types of herbivores have evolved, those with a post-gastric (hindgut) fermentation and those with a pre-gastric (foregut) fermentation. Bacteria are present in the gastrointestinal tract of all herbivores, and many are also inhabited by ciliate protozoa and fungi. Ruminants, probably the most abundant of the herbivores, are foregut fermentors with a four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum). Only the last chamber, the abomasum, is acidic. The environment within the rumen is anaerobic, 39C, with apH between 6.0 and 7.0.