A cow technically has one stomach, but it is divided into four distinct compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Each compartment plays a specific role in the cow's complex digestive process.
- The rumen is the largest compartment where fermentation breaks down tough plant material like grass with the help of microbes.
- The reticulum acts as a filter for foreign objects and helps form cud, which the cow regurgitates and re-chews.
- The omasum absorbs moisture and nutrients from the food.
- The abomasum , known as the true stomach, produces enzymes to digest proteins and starches, similar to a human stomach.
This four-compartment structure allows cows, as ruminants, to efficiently digest fibrous plant material that many other animals cannot
