Question

You must have noticed that the cows continuously chew something even if there is no fodder in front of them. What is the reason behind it?

• A. It is a response they give whenever they see an animal of a different species
• B. It is a redundant response which has no function
• C. It is not food; they do this to heal the blisters in their mouth
• D. It is the swallowed food before which comes back to the mouth for proper chewing

Answer 1

The correct option is D

It is the swallowed food before which comes back to the mouth for proper chewing

Cows, buffaloes and other grass-eating animals quickly swallow the grass and store it in a part of the stomach called the rumen. Here, the food gets partially digested and is called cud. But later the cud returns to the mouth in small lumps and the animal chews it. This process is called rumination and these animals are called ruminants. This is a mechanism they have adapted to digest cellulose, an important component of the food (grass) they eat.