Compare two mammals that have entirely different diets, such as cows, which are herbivores, and dogs, which are carnivores. What do you notice about the digestive system of each animal ?

Question

A diagram shows the digestive system in a side-view of a cow eating grass. It shows food coming in the mouth, going down the esophagus, going into a large stomach in the middle of the body. Then it is returned to the mouth to get chewed again. It then goes back up the esophagus to a smaller stomach, where it is digested further. Then it goes into the small and large intestines and finally out the end of the cow.

A diagram shows the digestive system in a side-view of a dog. The tongue extends out of the mouth. The esophagus extends from the head to the stomach, which is in the middle of the abdomen. Behind the stomach is the liver. To the rear of the stomach is the spleen and the wrinkled tube of the small intestine. Above the small intestine is a straight tube, which consists of the duodenum, then the large intestine, and then the anus, which is next to the dog’s tail. The cecum is connected to the large intestine.

(1 point)
Responses

Herbivores do not eat meat, so their digestive system does not share any similarities with dogs.
Herbivores do not eat meat, so their digestive system does not share any similarities with dogs.

The digestive system of a cow and a dog are identical.
The digestive system of a cow and a dog are identical.

Herbivores have a complex digestive system to absorb nutrients from plants, whereas the digestive system of a carnivore is shorter and simpler.
Herbivores have a complex digestive system to absorb nutrients from plants, whereas the digestive system of a carnivore is shorter and simpler.

Herbivores have a simple digestive system since the only eat plants, whereas carnivores have a complex system to help digest the meat.
Herbivores have a simple digestive system since the only eat plants, whereas carnivores have a complex system to help digest the meat.
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Answer 1

Herbivores have a complex digestive system to break down the cellulose in plant cells and extract nutrients, while carnivores have a simpler system that is designed to digest animal proteins and fats efficiently. This is why cows have multiple stomach compartments and engage in rumination (chewing their cud), while dogs have a shorter digestive tract and a simpler stomach structure. Additionally, herbivores like cows have a cecum to ferment plant material further, while carnivores like dogs have a shorter cecum or none at all. Overall, the differences in diet between herbivores and carnivores lead to distinct adaptations in their digestive systems.