A monogastric is a mammals with a single-compartmented stomach. Examples of monogastrics include humans, poultry, pigs, horses, rabbits, dogs and cats. Most monogastrics are generally unable to digest much cellulose food materials such as grasses.

An example of a monogastric animal is a horse. An example of a ruminant animal is a dog.

Functions of the Monogastric Digestive System Stomach: Secretes acids and enzymes that begin digestion of food. 3. Small Intestine: Where most digestion occurs. Enzymes secreted by the small intestine breakdown food and nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream.

The main agricultural species that are monogastrics are pigs, poultry and horses, however their digestive tracts are very unique to each species and they rely on very different feedstuffs. For example, the horse is an herbivore and its diet is largely made of forages such as grasses and hays.

Earthworm could be regarded as monogastric animal because of its simple gut and pseudo-ruminant because of its ability to digest fibre. The digestive system is made up of the mouth, oesephagus, crop, gizzard and intestine. The gizzard contains grits (fine sand particles) that help to grind food particles.

Horses are classified as herbivores, or roughage eaters. They are grazing animals with digestive systems designed for constant consumption of plant food. Unlike most other herbivores, the digestive system of the horse is considered monogastric rather than ruminant.

Overeating and parasitic/bacterial/viral infections will also cause horse digestive problem symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea.
• Gastric ulcers.
• Lack of appetite.
• Weakness and/or restlessness.
• Constipation.
• Inflammatory bowel disease.
• Flatulence and bloating.
• Abdominal pain and cramping.

Modified monogastrics have an additional structure called the cecum located between the small and large intestines. The cecum contains beneficial microbes that break down the cell walls of plant material and allow the animal to gain nutrients from this source of food.

> What is the biggest difference between the ruminant and monogastric digestive systems? (Ruminant stomachs have four compartments, and monogastric stomachs have only one compartment. Ruminants are able to digest grasses and other fibrous feeds better than animals with monogastric systems can.

: having more than one digestive cavity a polygastric protozoan also : having the stomach divided into several chambers —used of ruminants.

In humans the digestive system begins in the mouth to the oesophagus, stomach to intestine and continues, but in ruminants it is completely different. So, humans are now not ruminants as they do not possess a four chambered stomach rather, they are monogastric omnivores.

Due to the complex nature of the ruminant animal’s digestive system, cattle and other ruminants are able to digest feeds that humans cannot.

Stomach. The stomach is a hollow organ, or “container,” that holds food while it is being mixed with stomach enzymes. These enzymes continue the process of breaking down food into a usable form. Cells in the lining of the stomach secrete a strong acid and powerful enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown process.

Digestion is a form of catabolism or breaking down of substances that involves two separate processes: mechanical digestion and chemical digestion.

Mechanical digestion involves the mechanical breaking down of food into smaller pieces. It begins in the mouth with chewing. The tongue and the teeth play the most important roles here in moving the food around and chewing. Chemical digestion involves the chemical breakdown of food by different enzymes and chemicals.

The digestive system ingests and digests food, absorbs released nutrients, and excretes food components that are indigestible. The six activities involved in this process are ingestion, motility, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and defecation.

The digestive processes are ingestion, propulsion, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and defecation.