There are some things in nature
That are marvelous to see;
When you truly think of them
Astounded you will be.
Take a cow for instance,
How she wanders on four feet,
Just harvesting the grasses
When she wants something to eat.
Her tongue is long and rough
And perfect for the chore
Of gathering her sustenance
And going back for more.
It passes to her rumen
Where it is broken down
In a place so full of microbes
That really go to town
Breaking down the fibers
In this fermentation vat,
Releasing fatty acids
Where the nutrients are at.
And she has this strange reticulum
That looks like honey-comb
Where heavy objects lodge
Instead of passing on.
If you've seen her chew her cud
As she lies there in rest
It's because she's breaking up the lumps
And then she'll re-ingest.
And yes, microbial action
That is breaking down the grass
Produces lots of methane
And carbon dioxide she must pass.
Then passing from the rumen
The feed just marches on
Into what's called Omassum
Named for its many folds
That provides surface for extraction
Of the nutrient-laden juice.
Then into the Abomassum
Where it finds further use
From what is found in what once
Was grasses, leaves and weeds
And maybe here and there
The grains of all ripening seeds.
In the Abomassum, like your stomach,
There are acids and enzymes
That further break the feed right down
And I'm running out of rhymes
But, we'll keep going 'cause
It's interesting to see
How this mobile fermentation vat
Is made especially
For taking energy that's captured
In the leaves of growing plants
That came from the sunshine
Which excited chloroplasts
Which manufactured sugars
And other carbohydrates
From molecules within the air and soil
That end up on our plate
As something quite nutritious
And more tasty than a leaf;
And nothing beats the smell and taste
Of freshly grilled beef!
No comments:
Post a Comment