märehtijä

A märehtijä, or ruminant, is a herbivorous mammal characterized by its specialized digestive system that allows it to digest tough plant material like cellulose. This process involves a multi-chambered stomach, typically consisting of four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Ruminants bring up partially digested food, known as cud, from the rumen and rechew it to further break it down. This cud chewing, or rumination, is a defining feature of these animals.

The microbial fermentation that occurs in the rumen is crucial for breaking down cellulose, which most other animals cannot digest. This fermentation process produces volatile fatty acids, which are the primary energy source for the ruminant. Microbes in the rumen also synthesize essential amino acids and vitamins, making them readily available to the animal.

Examples of common ruminants include cattle, sheep, goats, deer, giraffes, and antelopes. Their diet primarily consists of grasses, leaves, and other fibrous plant matter. The digestive adaptations of ruminants have allowed them to thrive in environments where other herbivores might struggle to find sufficient nutrition. Their ability to extract nutrients from fibrous plants plays a significant role in many ecosystems, and domesticated ruminants are vital for agriculture worldwide, providing meat, milk, and wool.