Digestive physiology is determined by the food/feed selection and dietary strategies of the
animal and the animals’ ability to obtain nutrients from this diet. For a species of your choice
(please name them) describe:
a. The type of digestive tract, briefly describing the key organs and physiological structures
(15 marks)
b. Describe the types of feed ingested and discuss how the digestive system has evolved to
efficiently obtain nutrients from the available feeds (10 marks)
c. If it is a production animal, describe the influences of production systems on the animal.
I.e. how is the animal fed? (10 marks)
d. Describe any limitations to the digestive system (for example can only digest a specific
feed type, limited volume, inefficiency etc.)
Sample Solution
