Question

The various processes involved in nutrition in ruminant animals are:

(1) The animals first swallow the food quickly and store it in their rumen. The rumen has some micro-organisms that help in partial digestion of the cellulose of the plant materials. This food is now called cud. 

(2) The ruminants, later on, bring this cud back to their mouth and chew it thoroughly. This process is called rumination. 

(3) The thorough chewing of food during rumination, helps to break down the rich cellulose content of the plant materials. 

(4) Ruminants also have a spacious bag-like structure, between their small intestine and the large intestine. This is called caecum. The bacteria, present in the caecum, help in further digestion of the cellulose of the food.