Describe and compare the digestion and alimentary canal of carnivores, ruminants and hindgut fermenters.

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Describe and compare the digestion and alimentary canal of carnivores, ruminants and hindgut fermenters.

Carnivores have a dentition similar to humans. However, the third upper premolar and first lower molar is enlarged and pointed. These are known as the carnassials. These teeth allow the shearing of food. Canines are also more prominent. A great pressure can be exerted by the canines since they are pointed and thus can pierce flesh. Molars are flattened, and aligned with the powerful jaw muscles. This structure is ideal for crushing bone. Upper and lower jaw fit together so closely that they cannot be dislocated thus making ideal for holding on struggling prey. The temporal muscle is well developed unlike the masseter muscle which is relatively smaller. Adaptations of the alimentary canal to high protein diet include three main characteristics. First, carnivores have a large stomach which can store food so animal survive long periods between meals, and exposes food to powerful digestive juices, including pepsin. Second, duodenum, ileum and colon are not enlarged since large-scale bacterial breakdown of vegetable matter is absent in carnivores. Lastly, liver is large because a high protein diet leads to a great deal of transamination and deamination.

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 The digestive system of carnivores is the simplest among mammals. When food is ingested it passes through the esophagus and ends up in the stomach where the real digestion begins. In the stomach enzymatic digestion of proteins initiated and food is reduced to liquid form called chyme. Chyme is then secreted into the small intestine where the final stages of chemical enzymatic digestion occur and where almost all nutrients are absorbed. Liver provides the small intestine bile salts which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats, while the pancreas provides a potent mixture of digestive enzymes to the ...

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