Anatomy Of The Digestive Tract

Sheep Digestive Track
Mouth: The Mouth, or Oral Cavity, is the place where Mechanical digestion breaks down feedstuffs into smaller units. The Oral Cavity is also known as the Headgut. Prehensile is the first part animals uses, which includes lips and tongue. Then, the sheep will chew or masticate their food into smaller pieces. The digestion starts with a chemical process that occurs through enzymes (salivary amylase) and breakdowns lipids and carbohydrates.


                    (Sheep Oral Cavity)

Esophagus: The esophagus is a tube that extends from the pharynx to the cardia. When sheep swallow, a flap of cartilage, is compressed to cover the larynx opening and the food moves into the esophagus.


          (Esophagus/Digestive)

Stomach:

The Stomach in Sheep are called abomasum. This is where minor mechanical reduction and major chemical digestion occurs. Protein digestion also starts off in the stomach. Gastric lipase acts on lipids. Pepsin breaks down proteins. Hydrochloric Acid activates enzymes that further break down nutrients.


There are four parts to the stomach. The stomach of a ruminant exists as four chambers which are the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. Sheep digest food more efficiently than hindgut fermenters because they can consume food into the rumen, which allows for microbial digestion, and regurgitation.


                               (Stomach)


Small Intestine: 

This is is the longest section of the gastrointestinal tract. This is the major organ in sheep of digestion and absorption. There are three parts of the small intestine. The Duodenum which is where most digestion takes place. In the Duodenum, acidic food from the stomach mixes with digestive juices from the accessory gland. PH is neutralized in the Duodenum. The Jejunum and the HereIleum are where absorption of nutrients and water occurs. Absorption occurs in the Jejunum and the HereIleum through the villi and microvilli.


    (Nutrient Breakdown)

Large Intestine: 

This is where remaining material that hasn't been absorbed enters part of the large intestine. Mechanical reduction occurs here. It is a site of water absorption and feces formation/excretion in Sheep. Also microbial fermentation occurs here for monogastrics.

There are four parts of the large intestine including: Cecum, Large Colon, Small Colon, Rectum.

The cecum and colon take in nutrients, water and electrolytes, that are remaining in the digesta after passing through the small intestine.The cecum is a blind sac that arises at the joining of the ileum and colon. According to "Understanding The Ruminant animal Digestive System", the remaining material are excreted as feces from the rectum.

Works Cited

“Understanding the Ruminant Animal Digestive System.” Mississippi State University Extension Service, extension.msstate.edu/publications/publications/understanding-the-ruminant-animal-digestive-system.