DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Digestion - Breaking complex nutrients down into simple nutrients.
The digestive system of a lion is very simple compared to humans. Meat is fairly easy to digest, and the elaborate digestive mechanism present in their prey for breaking down cellulose are not needed. Cats, in general have the shortest digestive tracts of all animals.
Food enters through the mouth travels down the esophagus and into the stomach. The esophagus helps in emptying the stomach also known as vomiting. The function of the stomach is to store food until small intestines are ready. As the food is sitting in the stomach Mechanical digestion and chemical digestion occurs. Once the food has hit the small intestines, mechanical digestion is continued. This is where most of the chemical digestion occurs, as does the absorption of nutrients. The small intestines also receive chyme from the stomach in small spurts. As the food enters the large intestine, the colon continues to absorb nutrients. This is also where the formation of feces occurs. The liver aids in detoxifying poisons coming in from the digestive track. The gall bladder, located below the liver, acts as an overflow reservoir for bile coming down from liver.
Digestion - Breaking complex nutrients down into simple nutrients.
The digestive system of a lion is very simple compared to humans. Meat is fairly easy to digest, and the elaborate digestive mechanism present in their prey for breaking down cellulose are not needed. Cats, in general have the shortest digestive tracts of all animals.
Food enters through the mouth travels down the esophagus and into the stomach. The esophagus helps in emptying the stomach also known as vomiting. The function of the stomach is to store food until small intestines are ready. As the food is sitting in the stomach Mechanical digestion and chemical digestion occurs. Once the food has hit the small intestines, mechanical digestion is continued. This is where most of the chemical digestion occurs, as does the absorption of nutrients. The small intestines also receive chyme from the stomach in small spurts. As the food enters the large intestine, the colon continues to absorb nutrients. This is also where the formation of feces occurs. The liver aids in detoxifying poisons coming in from the digestive track. The gall bladder, located below the liver, acts as an overflow reservoir for bile coming down from liver.