Simbrah Cattle
"All purpose American breed"
Breed Characteristics
HIstory
Daily Care
Anatomy
Digestive system
Cows are herbivores which means they do not eat meat, only plants, grass and cereal. Cows are ruminant animals which means they have more than one stomach.
Cows have a four part stomach, each part used for a different process.
Respiratory system
A cow's respiratory system works just like that in a human's. A cow breathes in oxygen, the inhaled air travels down the trachea to the bronchial branches. And then it travels to the different alveoli. Alveoli contains capillaries that contain deoxygenated blood. Carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen, making the blood newly oxygenated, and the carbon dioxide is pushed from the alveoli to the bronchioles and bronchi. It then travels up through the trachea and exhaled outwards. The diaphragm helps the cow with inhaling and exhaling.
Nervous system
The cow’s nervous system is very similar to that of a human. The cow’s brain is the central of all messages throughout the body. The spinal cord is used as a way to send messages throughout the body of the cow. These messages are called neurons and gather information throughout the cow. The neurons then return to the brain and relay the information it has received to the brain.
Skeletal system
The cow has many different muscles throughout its skeletal system. The masseter is a muscle in the cheek that helps the cow with chewing and biting.
Circulatory system
The cow heart is bigger than a human heart, so more power is required so that blood can pump to each part of the cow. The heart has four chambers, two atria and two ventricles.
Reproductive system
The female cow body prepares itself for reproduction. It goes through a 21-day ovulation cycle. The egg is covered by specialized cells. A follicle forms and is filled with estrogen, which is the main female sex hormone. A blood system forms on the outside of the follicle, to allow for proper blood circulation through the follicle. When it is matured, the follicle ruptures, and the fluids inside carry the egg down the reproductive tract. The egg is now ready for fertilization.
Muscular system
The cow has many different muscles throughout its skeletal system. The masseter is a muscle in the cheek that helps the cow with chewing and biting. The trapezius is a triangular mucle that helps to move the front appendages.