SUBJECT AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES GRADE 12

TERM 1
TOPIC Digestion and absorption( rumen microbes and absorption of digested nutrients)

AIM OF THE Learners should be able to do the following at the end of the lesson:
LESSON  a brief explanation of the intake of feed
 the process of digestion in the mouth, stomach, small intestine and large intestine (colo
{ mechanical digestion
{ chemical digestion (enzymes)
RESOURCES Hard Copy Soft Copy
 Focus agricultural science grade 12  Via Africa Agricultural Science
grade 12

INTRODUCTION Digestion in the rumen is a process of fermentation. Fermentation is carried out by microbes or
microscopic organisms in the rumen. Rumen bacteria are living organisms. They play a very
important role in the digestive process of a ruminant. They live in symbiosis with the ruminant a
enable it to digest cellulose. Symbiosis means that two living organisms live together and benefi
each other.

DISCUSSION Different types of rumen microbes

There are billions of micro-organisms living in an adult ruminant. They are mainly bacteria and
protozoa. The bacteria are smaller and more numerous than the protozoa. The type of microbes
present in a ruminant varies according to the ration on which it is fed. For example, the bacteria
responsible for decomposing lignin differ from the bacteria that decompose green grass and sila
Animals do not gain mass when there is a change of feed, such as when they are moved from a
winter feed of hay to early summer grazing, because the wrong bacteria are present in the rume
However, over time the right type of bacteria multiply as the conditions become favourable for
them. The animal can be ‘inoculated’ with the right type of bacteria to speed up the adjustment
process. One can use the fresh stomach contents of the animal to find out what the right bacter
The right kind of bacteria can then be injected into the animal’s bloodstream (inoculation), or m
commonly, into the mouth, and they will find their way to the rumen.

Requirements for normal functioning of rumen microbes/micro-

organisms
• Conditions in the reticulum and rumen must be favourable for micro-organisms so that they
function optimally. In this way, they can perform their important functions to the advantage
the ruminant.

• Micro-organisms require macro- and micro-elements for growth and reproduction. These
elements are the same as those required by the animal itself, and they are obtained from th
food that the animal takes in. Digestive enzymes break the food down and make these nutr
available to both the ruminant and the micro-organisms.

• The micro-organisms require a certain quantity of easily digestible carbohydrates, such as

 starch and sugars. The bacteria use these carbohydrates for energy, growth and reproductio
Therefore, dry feed can be supplemented with molasses to provide for the energy requirem
of the bacteria. This is especially important during dry spells.

• Nitrogen strongly influences the micro-organisms living in the ruminant. It is used in the
synthesis of microbe-proteins. Nitrogen is mainly derived from ammonia compounds. A
ruminant’s ration should therefore be supplemented with urea during the winter months. A
micro-organisms die off, they are digested and, in turn, provide amino acids for the animal.

• Ammonia in the rumen must be above a certain critical level for most of the day to ensure a
high rate of microbial growth and digestion and therefore feed intake. The level of ammoni
that supports the best concentration of micro-organisms in the rumen (and therefore best
digestion) will vary between diets.

• In order for rumen microbes to be numerous and active they must be well nourished. Thes
microbes get their energy and nutrition is from the feed source. A small amount of readily
digested energy (e.g. molasses) can stimulate microbes when they are sluggish.

• About three-quarters (75%) of bacteria require nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus to synthe
amino acids and protein. Protein in feed has to be broken down to these elements before
bacteria can use them. Instead, these requirements can be supplied as urea, sulphur and
phosphorus in a supplement. There is a ratio at which absorption by the microbe is most
efficient, so each element should be given in the correct ratio.
• The other quarter of bacteria (25%) require amino acids and peptides which are already
formed. These bacteria can survive only when protein is available. In addition, minerals are
required by microbes to build cell structure and to produce enzymes and vitamins.
• Dry roughage contains cellulose and hemi-cellulose that is bonded by lignin. This makes it le
soluble and less digestible. Fungi and bacteria have to penetrate and break the plant structu
to get access to the nutrients. The bacteria that ferment roughage survive in an environmen
where the pH is about 6.8 ( range 6.2–7.2). The pH is dependent on the rate of production o
saliva.

• Any nutrient, (including proteins, vitamins and minerals) that is deficient in a diet will result
low microbial activity in the rumen.

The types and numbers of rumen microbes are determined by the types of feedstuff fed to the
ruminant.
Some types of microbes require cellulose-rich feeds. Other types of microbes require starch-rich
feeds. The implication of these micro requirements is that a livestock farmer should be very
careful when switching from one kind of ration to another when feeding livestock – the microbe
population has to adapt to the new rumen content.

Functions of rumen microbes

As mentioned earlier, the microbes living in the rumen of a ruminant play a crucial role for life o
earth. They allow for crude fibre to be converted into soluble carbohydrates, which can be used
nonruminants, such as humans, that eat the ruminants. The following functions are carried out b
rumen microbes during the process of food digestion: they ferment plant material and synthesis
amino acids and vitamins.

Absorption of food in the rumen by osmosis and diffusion

 into the bloodstream
End products of digestion are substances that have been simplified and made soluble or absorba
through the process of digestion. They are absorbed through the blood vessels and lymphatic
system for distribution to the body tissues. The following table shows nutrients and their
corresponding end products after digestion:Table : Nutrients and their corresponding end products
after digestion

Nutrient End products

Protein amino acids

Carbohydrate glucose

Cellulose fatty acids and salts of organic acids

Fats fatty acids and glycerol

Minerals in various soluble forms

Vitamins in various soluble forms

The products of digestion can be absorbed by diffusion or via an active transport mechanism. A
active transport system involves ‘carrier’ molecules in the cell membrane. These carriers attach
other molecules, such as fats, and transport them across the membrane and into the cell. This
process uses energy, which is why it is called an active system. Diffusion and osmosis are passive
processes that do not use the body’s energy. The fatty acids, ammonia and carbon dioxide are
absorbed by diffusion through the walls of the blood vessels in the alimentary canal. Water and
mineral salts such as sodium, calcium and magnesium are also absorbed straight from the rume
through diffusion.

Nutrients are absorbed in the smaller intestine of both ruminants and non-ruminants in exactly
same way. Folds in the cell wall of the small intestine increase the surface area used for absorpti
The surface area is also increased by small finger-like extensions called villi. Villi are especially
common in the duodenal part of the small intestine.

Water, minerals, amino acids, glucose and mineral salts are absorbed through diffusion and osm
into the capillary blood vessels of the villi. These tiny capillary vessels eventually join together to
form a larger blood vessel called a vein. The veins transport the end products to the liver.

Fatty acids and glycerol are absorbed into the lymph via the capillary lymph vessels. These vesse
are found in the villi. The lymph joins the blood vessel system (the portal vein). Fats can be abso
as chemically unchanged molecules. This is done by means of an active transport system. The co
absorbs mainly water, as well as certain fatty acids that are produced by rumen microbes.

ACTIVITIES