Ruminants are a classification of herbivorous mammals, including cows and sheep, which have a stomach consisting of four distinct parts, the first of which is called the rumen.
Ruminants chew their food and it then passes into the rumen, where some mechanical and chemical digestion takes place; it is then returned to the mouth, for further chewing until it is all liquefied.
It is swallowed again and the liquid is able to pass through the rumen this time and proceed through the whole digestive system.
This extra chewing allows more of the cellulose cell walls of the food material to be broken down, releasing the cell contents, so that, potentially, more energy can be obtained from the food eaten.
Anne Evans
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