Deer Rumen: Opening up a deer's rumen.Courtesy Kirk MonaEver wondered what's inside the stomach of a deer? For those not afraid of some graphic photos, the Twin Cities Naturalist Blog. has posted photos and descriptions of the four parts of a deer's stomach. Here's a quick overview.

• The Rumen is a fermentation and storage vat. Micro-organisms break down a lot of food in the Rumen so it can be absorbed by the deer but it does not physically break down the food with acid like a human stomach.
• The Reticulum is basically a filter that allows small particles to pass to the Omasum.
• The Omasum acts like a sponge that draws off excess water before food is passed to the next step.
• The Abomasum works like your stomach to break down food with acid so nutrients can be absorbed.

You can see all the photos and read more at Twin Cities Naturalist.

Tags : deer, dissection, gross, grossology, photos, stomach

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