The scientific names of the four stomach chambers of cattle are: rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. They each perform their own duties and look different.
1. Rumen
The rumen is the first stomach of the cow, also known as the "grass belly". It has a very strong ability to degrade fiber materials, and most of it is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity. side, occupying almost the entire left side of the abdominal cavity, with a small portion located on the right side of the abdominal cavity. As a unique digestive organ of cattle and other ruminants, the rumen plays an important role in the digestion process. Only by fully understanding its characteristics and functions can cattle be raised well.
2. Reticulum stomach
Reticulum stomach is also called money belly. After the residue reaches the reticulum, the reticulum will filter out the impurities in the residue, such as some stones, through rumination again. The remaining small residue enters the third stomach, the double omasum. There is honeycomb tissue on the reticulum, which functions like a sieve. Heavy objects eaten by the cow, such as stones, nails, wires, etc., will be stored in it.
3. The omasum
The omasum is the double omasum, which is the third part of the cow's stomach. Its volume is slightly larger than the reticulum, and its inner wall has book-like folds. The function is to further digest the cow's food. The volume is slightly larger than that of a honeycomb stomach. The inner wall has book-like folds, which contain digestive enzymes that can break down plant fiber into glucose and transport it to the intestines for absorption. The regurgitated food enters the double omasum and continues to be ground and digested. Also called omasum.
4. The abomasum
The abomasum is often called the "abomasum". It is the fourth stomach of cattle and the only stomach with digestive glands that can secrete digestive enzymes. , digestion in the true sense. The abomasum can digest and absorb some proteins, but basically cannot digest and absorb fat, cellulose and starch.
Characteristics of the cow's stomach:
1. The cow has four stomachs, namely the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The first three stomachs are formed by mutations in the digestive tract, and only the abomasum is the real stomach.
2. Among the four stomachs of cattle, the rumen is the largest, accounting for about 80% of the total gastric volume, the reticulum accounts for about 5% of the total gastric volume, and the omasum accounts for about 5% of the total gastric volume. The abomasum accounts for about 7% of the total gastric volume, and the abomasum accounts for about 8% of the total gastric volume.
3. In the cow stomach, only the real stomach, the abomasum, can secrete gastric acid and digestive enzymes. The other three stomachs do not have this ability.
4. In the roughage eaten, crude fiber mainly relies on microorganisms such as protozoa and bacteria in the rumen to ferment and decompose into absorbable and usable substances.
5. There are no glands in the mucosa of the rumen, reticulum, and omasum. They mainly rely on mechanical and chemical effects to promote food digestion.