Digestive System of Mountain Gorrila

2221 Words9 Pages
Digestive system of the mountain Gorilla The mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is an omnivore; although it ingests small invertebrates the majority of its diet consists of leaves, shoots and stems. Gorillas are heterotrophic organisms and so are able to produce energy by breaking down the organic substances (e.g. leaves, shoots etc) which they have ingested; the energy produced is vital for the survival of the gorilla as it is needed by all cells for cellular activity ( i.e. the breaking down and building for their own organic molecules). It is the digestive system of the gorilla which is responsible for the breaking down of the ingested organic substances. As with any organ system, the digestive system is composed of various organs; the main organs include the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. Gorillas have a full digestive tract with one opening that serves as entrance ( i.e. the mouth )and another that serves as an exit ( i.e. the anus ). Digestion begins with the mouth. The teeth are used to break down the food into smaller molecules to be passed down the oesophagus and into the stomach. The stomach is where most of the digestion takes place, this leads to the small intestine; a narrow tube for which most of the absorption of nutrients takes place. The small intestine leads to the large intestine, another tube for which absorption takes place. In the large intestine fluid is reabsorbed back into the bloodstream and faeces is formed; the faeces exits through the anus. Although these are the main organs involved in digestion, they are supported by the accessory organs. These include; the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and salivary glands. Figure 1 (below) shows the location of these organs (madders.s, 2007). Figure [ 1 ]. Diagram of gorilla digestive system Digestion is the process in which solid food is

More about Digestive System of Mountain Gorrila

Open Document