Comparative+Anatomy+and+Physiology+of+Digestion+in+Vertebrates-+Answers



Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Digestion in Vertebrates

1. //describe // the role of teeth in increasing the surface area of complex foods for exposure to digestive chemicals The role of the teeth is a very important and vital to an individual’s body as it helps break down solid food on order for it to pass through the body organs easily. The different parts of the teeth all have a different job as it helps break down food so that it can be processed. Incisors are used to cut the solid food whereas the canines pierces and tears the food into smaller pieces and premolars and molars, macerates the food so it can go through the body organs smoothly.


 * 2. ****i//dentify// data sources, gather, process, analyze and present information from secondary sources and use available evidence to compare the digestive systems of mammals, including a grazing herbivore, carnivore and a predominantly nectar feeding animal **

__//**Carnivore:**//__
Digestive system is unable to break down the cell walls of plants. The digestive system cannot handle vegetation and they extract all the nutrients from raw meat products.

__//**Herbivore:**// __
Uses the cellulose in the plant cell wall for nutrients. Grazing herbivores like cows have 4 stomachs that first ingest the food, which goes to the first stomach which then comes back up to the mouth in the form of cud, which the cow chews again and again until it goes through all the stomachs each stomach responsible for adding or breaking down the grass.

__**//Nectar feeding animals://** __
Nectar feeding animals have incredibly high metabolic rates which need a nutrient rich source to satisfy their system. That is why they feed on sweet nutrient rich nectar. The nectar feeder’s stomach has two digestive sacs; one is responsible for regular digestion, and another is used to store nectar.



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//Explain // **the relationship between the length and overall complexity of digestive systems of a vertebrate herbivore and a vertebrate carnivore with respect to: **===== Herbivores have long digestive tracts because it takes a long time to absorb nutrients from the plant material which they eat. They also have a large caecum which helps digestion, along with enzymes, that breakdown the plant material and cellulose. Carnivores have shorter digestive tracts as they can quickly obtain nutrients from the meat they consume. They have a relatively small caecum as their diet only consists of small amounts of plant material. Human digestive systems can best be described as a herbivorous digestive system because of its length and the ability for humans to survive solely on food from a vegetation base.