What are the differences between a cow's digestive system and a human's digestive system?

Question

What are the differences between a cow's digestive system and a human's digestive system?

Answer 1

cows are herbivores, so they need to digest longer to obtain the same amt of nutrients, compared to a omnivore like humans, or carnivore. Hence, they have 4 stomachs to store the food for longer.

also, this allows their food to ferment, as cows (n most animals) do not produce enzymes to digest cellulose. Instead, they rely on bacteria to break down the cellulose so that they can absorb the nutrients.

Answer 2

Actually cows do NOT have four stomachs. They have a four compartmented digestive system but have one true abomasum ..which like our stomach has pepsin and HCl. The rumen and reticulum are predigestive bacterial vats where carbohydrates and other food constituents are metabolized by bacteria under anaerobic conditions ( fermented ). This means that the dietary protein is altered in composition to more favor bacterial protein ( lower bilogical value than sayy soy or alfalfa ) and dietary carbohydrates are entirely converted to acetic , propionic and butyric ( plus a few other ) volatile fatty acids. The cow must make all her glucose from propionate at the tissue level. The bacteria and protozoa in the rumen and the reticulum ( a somewhat smaller vat on the downside of the rumen ) can digest materials we cannot like cardboard , whole cottonseed, etc etc . Another compartment called the omasum ( many plies ) absorbs a large amount of water coming from the rumen/reticulum with the bacterially digested mass before that mass enters the true stomach or abomasum..where partial digestion of the bacterially altered proteins and fats begins. Afte the abomasum the mass enters the small intestine and functions much like our system does .

Answer 3

Cows have FOUR stomachs......if I had 4 stomachs i'd look like, well a cow.

And they just swallow their food then cough it up and chew it up later..gross, i know. Its called chewing the cud.