SECTION B -- THE DIGESTION OF FEED: Nutrition Guide for Sheep Producers

Enzymatic breakdown of most of the organic constituents of food is complete by the time the unabsorbed digesta reach the large intestine. One of the main functions of this part of the system is the absorption of water and minerals of both dietary and secretory origin. In addition, further breakdown is carried out here by a permanent population of microbes (bacteria and protozoa) with some proportion of the products being absorbed into the blood. Food material which has escaped both enzymatic and microbial digestion is excreted.