Cellulose acts as a roughage in man but serves as a nutrient in cow. Justify your answer.
In our body cellulose acts as a roughage because our digestive system is not able to digest it and hence it is removed from our body as such in the form of roughage.
Cow belong to a class of animals known as ruminants. They have a digestive system which allows them to utilise roughage (cellulose) as a major source of nutrients. They have a large fluid filled digestive organ at the beginning of the digestive tract called rumen, which contains a large population of microbes. These microbes have the ability to break down cellulose and hemicellulose, which are main components of roughage.
Cow belong to a class of animals known as ruminants. They have a digestive system which allows them to utilise roughage (cellulose) as a major source of nutrients. They have a large fluid filled digestive organ at the beginning of the digestive tract called rumen, which contains a large population of microbes. These microbes have the ability to break down cellulose and hemicellulose, which are main components of roughage.