Process of Rumination
The process of rumination is stimulated by the presence of roughage in the upper part of the reticulorumen. The chest cavity is stretched, forming a vacuum in the gullet that sucks the semi-liquid stomach content into the esophagus. From the esophagus it is taken back to the mouth with retro peristaltic movements. When the stomach content, or the cud, arrives in the mouth of the ruminant, it is pushed against the palate with the tongue to remove excess liquid, the latter is swallowed and the solid material is chewed thoroughly. The function of rumination is that food is physically refined to expose more surface area for bacteria working in the reticulorumen, as well as stimulation of saliva secretion to buffer the rumen pH.
Read more about this topic: Cud
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