rumen

Definition

The first stomach compartment in ruminant animals, such as cows, which functions as a fermentation chamber for digesting complex plant materials.

Etymology

The word comes from the Latin word 'rumen', meaning 'throat' or 'gullet', which was applied in anatomical contexts to refer to the complex stomach of cud-chewing animals.

In the news

The article discusses researchers who analyzed microbial genomic data from the bovine rumen to discover enzymes capable of breaking down the protective polysaccharide structures in bacterial biofilms.

Enzyme from Cow Guts Could Help Tackle Antibiotic Resistance

Technology Networks

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