[Campbell Biology P.963] In the ruminant digestive process depicted in Figure 41.20, after i... | Practice Question

In the ruminant digestive process depicted in Figure 41.20, after initial ingestion and fermentation in the rumen and reticulum, the "cud" is regurgitated and re-chewed. What is the correct sequence of the stomach chambers that the re-swallowed food then enters and passes through until it reaches the intestine?

  • A: Rumen → Reticulum → Omasum → Abomasum
  • B: Omasum → Abomasum
  • C: Reticulum → Omasum → Abomasum
  • D: Abomasum → Omasum

Explanation

Figure 41.20 and its accompanying text explicitly describe the path of food in ruminant digestion. After initial ingestion, food goes to the rumen and reticulum. When "cud" is regurgitated and re-chewed, the re-swallowed material then bypasses the rumen and reticulum, directly entering the omasum as indicated by the arrow labeled '3' pointing from the esophagus to the omasum in the diagram's description , and then proceeds to the abomasum the "true stomach" for enzymatic digestion before moving to the intestine.