Herbivore vs. Carnivore Digestion: Why the Difference?
Herbivores
- Herbivores eat plants, which are mostly made of cellulose.
- Cellulose is a tough polysaccharide that is difficult to break down.
- Herbivores have special enzymes in their saliva that begin to break down cellulose in the mouth.
- This helps to make the cellulose more digestible when it reaches the stomach.
Carnivores
- Carnivores eat meat, which is mostly made of protein.
- Protein is a relatively easy-to-digest nutrient.
- Carnivores do not need special enzymes in their saliva to break down protein.
- Therefore, their chemical digestion begins in the stomach, where the stomach acids and enzymes begin to break down the protein.
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