Question

Riya observes some cattle grazing in the field near her house every day. But one thing that fascinates her is that these animals are always chewing even when they are not eating grass.

a) Why do these animals chew even when not engulfing/eating?

b) What is this process known as and state the biological reason behind it?

c) Can we also perform this? Give a reason for your answer.

A. a) For Grinding Teeth; b) Digestion; c) Yes, for Better Dental Health
B. a) For Better Breathing; b) Respiratory Chewing; c) No, Humans Cannot
C. a) Rumination; b) Rumination; c) Yes, Similar to Cud Chewing
D. a) Habit; b) Idle Chewing; c) No, It's Not Applicable to Humans

Answer 1

Ruminants chew their food through a process called rumination, which helps them efficiently break down and extract nutrients from their plant-based diet. Humans do not perform rumination but still chew their food for digestion.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ruminants such as cattle chew even when not eating grass in a process called rumination. This is a key part of their digestive system and helps them efficiently break down and extract nutrients from their plant-based diet.

During rumination, the food is first swallowed without being properly chewed and goes into the first stomach, called the rumen. Later, the partially digested food, known as cud, is regurgitated and thoroughly chewed by the animal's molars. This grinding action helps further break down the food before it is swallowed again.

Humans do not have a multi-chambered stomach like ruminants, so we do not perform this specific process of rumination. However, we do chew our food to break it down into smaller pieces, which aids in digestion and nutrient absorption.