Abstract
Herbivores exclusively feed on plants while carnivores feed on meat. These food preferences mean that there are differences in the oral cavities, the stomach, the small intestines and the entire digestive tract mechanisms of the two types of animals. While carnivores such as lions have short digestive tracts with stronger and more acidic digestive juices because meat is easier to digest, herbivores such as zebras have long digestive tracts that are alkaline to increase the rate of digestion and absorption of plant materials.
The basic difference between carnivores and herbivores is that they exclusively feed on meat and plants respectively. This paper will examine the differences in the digestive systems of a lion-Panthera leo, a carnivore and a zebra-Equus quagga, a herbivore.
The oral cavity
A lion and other carnivores tend to have wide mouths in relation to their head sizes and they have well developed jaw muscles dependent on the temporalis muscle (Duke, 8). Lions and other carnivores have sharp, long and pointed teeth to tear flesh. In the mouth, the saliva of carnivores does not have digestive enzymes as is the case with herbivores which have alkaline juices to digest carbohydrates (Chivers, 5). A zebra and other herbivores tend to have smaller mouths and muscular tongues to help turn the food and grind it on the flat molars.
Stomach
Carnivores have large stomachs that take up about 70% of the entire digestive tracts. The carnivores secrete more potent enzymes with their stomachs producing 10 times more hydrochloric acid compared to herbivores. This makes the stomachs of carnivores highly acidic with a PH less than 1. Herbivores have smaller stomachs because they have to process small amounts of food at ago. The PH in the stomach of herbivores ranges between 4 and 5 (Beasley, 12).
Small intestines
A lion’s small intestines are about four times its body length. This relatively short intestines quickly eliminate any foods that could get stuck and rot in the tract. The absorption of nutrients is fast and highly effective. On the other hand, the intestines of a zebra are about 12 times its body length and they are highly winding to keep food for long periods so that maximum absorption of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can take place (Chivers, 12). The liver plays a critical role in digestion and in carnivores this organ eliminates as much as ten times more uric acid as a herbivore or omnivore.
Herbivores have long digestive tracts to allow for large surface areas over which to digest and absorb complex plant materials. The herbivores also have a caecum in which complex plane materials and cellulose are digested with the help of strong digestive juices (Hofve). Carnivores have shorter digestive tracts as it is easier to obtain nutrients from meat. They also have a smaller caecum.
Works Cited
Beasley, DeAnna E. et al. “The Evolution of Stomach Acidity and Its Relevance to the Human Microbiome.” Ed. Xiangzhen Li. PLoS ONE 10.7 (2015): e0134116. PMC. Web. 1 Feb. 2017.
Karasov, William H. and Angela E. Douglas. "Comparative Digestive Physiology." Comparative Physiology (2013): 3(2): 741–783.
Hofve, Jean. Digestive Enzymes. Integrative Veterinary Care Journal. 2012.
Chivers, David J. The Digestive System in Mammals: Food, Form and Function. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994. Print.
Duke, Shirley S. Herbivores and Carnivores Explained. 2017. Print.
