Pig Digestive System Lab Report

The purpose of this lab was to determine if the digestive system of the fetal pig is similar to the human digestive system. The digestive system is an organ system in which food is broken down so nutrients can be absorbed by the body. The structure of the digestive system is not the same in all organisms-in fact, there are four types of digestive systems. The most common digestive system is the monogastric digestive system. The monogastric digestive system occurs in organisms with a single-chambered stomach. Organisms such as pigs and humans have the monogastric digestive system. The second type of digestive system is the avian digestive system. The avian digestive system usually occurs in bird such as chicken. This digestive system is …show more content…
Salivary glands produce saliva in order to keep parts of the digestive system (such as the mouth) moist. This helps break down carbohydrates for digestion. The third type of digestive system is the ruminant digestive system. The ruminant digestive system occurs in organisms who possess stomachs with four compartments (the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum). This digestive system is usually found in organisms such as cattle. The final digestive system is the pseudo-ruminant system. The pseudo-ruminant system works the same way as the ruminant digestive system. The major difference between these digestive systems is that organisms with the pseudo-ruminant system do not have stomachs with four compartments. Examples of these types of organisms is the horse. Since the fetal pig and human both have single stomachs, they share the same type of digestive system-the monogastric digestive system. The primary focus of the dissection will be on the monogastric digestive …show more content…
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a series of hollow organs that begins at mouth and extends to the anus. These hollow organs are the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. The accessory organs are the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The same organs are found in the fetal pig as well. The pharynx, also known as the throat, is a muscular tunnel that extends from the nose to the esophagus. It serves as a pathway for food traveling from the mouth to the esophagus. The esophagus is a long, thin, and muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus acts a passageway for food and liquids that have been swallowed into the pharynx to reach the stomach. The stomach is a muscular sac that stores food until it is ready to be digested. The stomach performs mechanical digestion as the walls of it contract with each other to break down food. Chemical digestion also takes place here. Pepsin is an enzyme that is involved with the chemical digestion of proteins. The stomach plays a vital role to the digestive system. This is why there are various digestive system for organisms with different stomach