S3 Agriculture: Digestion in Ruminant Animals

These agriculture notes by Oswald Byebazo of Trinity College Nabbingo trace food through the digestive system of a ruminant animal. They describe the roles of the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum, including fermentation, sorting food particles, re-chewing and protein digestion. Further sections cover digestive enzymes, bile, nutrient absorption in the small intestine and water absorption in the colon. The notes also outline conditions needed by rumen microorganisms. A closing activity asks learners to compare digestion in ruminant and non-ruminant animals using their knowledge of human digestion.