Do you know how many stomachs a cow has?

Do you know how many stomachs a cow has? Unlike us, cattle are the most representative herbivores. They have four stomachs, namely, rumen, honeycomb stomach, double stomach and abomasum. Let's take a look at these stomachs of cattle.

Rumen

The rumen volume of adult cows can reach 151L and can store 136kg of content. the functions of rumen are as follows: ① temporarily stores feed. ② fermentation by microorganism.

Honeycomb stomach

The honeycomb stomach is located in the anterior part of the rumen. In fact, the two stomachs are not completely separate, so the feed particles can move freely between the two. Honeycomb stomach endothelium has honeycomb-like tissue, so it is commonly known as honeycomb stomach. The main function of the honeycomb stomach is like a sieve, in which heavy objects, such as nails and wire, are eaten with the feed.

Double stomach

The double stomach is the third stomach with organized folds on the inner surface. The role of double stomach is not very clear, it is generally believed that its main function is to absorb water in the feed and squeeze and grind the feed.

Abomasum

The abomasum of cattle is also called true stomach. Its function is the same as that of monogastric animals, secreting digestive juice and making surimi wet. The digestive juices of the abomasum contain enzymes that can digest part of the protein and basically do not digest fat, cellulose or starch. The feed is watery when it leaves the true stomach and then reaches the small intestine for further digestion. Undigested substances are excreted from the body through the large intestine.

After eating, the food flows through the four stomach chambers sequentially, and some of them return to the mouth before entering the double stomach and then chew. the process is called "ruminating". The four stomach chambers are not connected in a straight line, but crisscross with each other.