What is the Difference Between Monogastric and Polygastric Digestive System?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between monogastric and polygastric digestive systems lies in the structure of the stomach and the ability to digest cellulose.
Monogastric Digestive System:
- Single-chambered stomach.
- Found in herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.
- Examples: Rabbits (herbivore), Humans (omnivore), Cats (carnivore).
- Partially digests cellulose with the help of symbiotic gut bacteria, but not as efficiently as polygastric animals.
- Digestion begins in the mouth, where saliva helps moisten and initiate the digestion process.
Polygastric Digestive System:
- Four-chambered stomach, including the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.
- Found only in herbivores, specifically ruminants like bison, giraffes, and llamas.
- Efficiently digests cellulose due to the presence of gut bacteria that play a crucial role in breaking down cellulose.
- The first phase of digestion occurs in the mouth with minimal chemical or mechanical breakdown.
- Food is regurgitated and re-chewed in a process called rumination, which allows bacteria in the rumen to break down cellulose and convert it into volatile fatty acids.
In summary, monogastric digestive systems have a single-chambered stomach and partially digest cellulose, while polygastric digestive systems have a four-chambered stomach and efficiently digest cellulose.
Comparative Table: Monogastric vs Polygastric Digestive System
Here is a table comparing the differences between monogastric and polygastric digestive systems:
Feature | Monogastric Digestive System | Polygastric Digestive System |
---|---|---|
Stomach Structure | Single-chambered stomach | Four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum) |
Cellulose Digestion | Partially digests cellulose with the help of symbiotic bacteria in the gut, but not as efficiently as ruminants | Efficiently digests cellulose through the process of rumination and the help of rumen bacteria |
Digestion Process | Starts in the mouth or buccal region, where saliva moistens the food and initiates digestion | Initial action in the mouth involves little chemical or mechanical digestion; food is re-chewed in the process of rumination |
Examples | Monogastric herbivore – Rabbits, Monogastric omnivore – Humans, Monogastric carnivore – Cats | Ruminants like cows, sheep, goats, and deer |
Monogastric digestive systems have a single-chambered stomach and are common among non-ruminant animals, while polygastric digestive systems have a four-chambered stomach and are found in ruminants. The key difference between the two is the capacity to digest cellulose efficiently, which is higher in polygastric systems.
- Monogastric vs Ruminant
- Herbivores vs Carnivores Digestive System
- Cow vs Human Digestive System
- Alimentary Canal vs Digestive System
- Digestion in Humans vs Ruminants
- Pseudo Ruminant vs Ruminant Systems
- Rat vs Human Digestive System
- Metabolism vs Digestion
- Digestion in Stomach vs Digestion in Intestine
- Proteolytic Enzymes vs Digestive Enzymes
- Protein Digestion in Stomach vs Small Intestine
- Mechanical Digestion vs Chemical Digestion
- Gut vs Stomach
- Alimentary Canal of Herbivores vs Carnivores
- Digestion vs Absorption
- Ruminant vs Non-Ruminant Animals
- Monounsaturated vs Polyunsaturated Fats
- Malabsorption vs Maldigestion
- Probiotics vs Digestive Enzymes