Which food requires a longer small intestine to digest food?

The correct answer is Grass.

Key Points

• Grass contains a high amount of cellulose, which is a complex carbohydrate that is difficult to break down.
• To digest cellulose effectively, herbivores like cows, horses, and sheep have evolved a specialized digestive system that includes a longer small intestine.
• The small intestine is where most of the nutrients from food are absorbed into the body. In herbivores, the small intestine is longer than in carnivores or omnivores to allow for more time to break down and digest cellulose.
• Additionally, herbivores have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms in their digestive tract, which help break down cellulose into simpler compounds that can be absorbed by the body.
• Overall, the longer small intestine and symbiotic relationship with microorganisms in the digestive tract are adaptations that have evolved to enable herbivores to efficiently digest cellulose and extract nutrients from plants, such as grass.

Important Points

• Digestion: 
  • ​it is the complex process of turning the food we eat into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair needed to survive.
  • It also involves creating water to be excreted.
• Human Digestive System:​
  • The Human Digestive system consists of the alimentary canal which can be further divided into various components.
  • Buccal cavity
  • Food pipe or oesophagus 
  • Stomach 
  • Small intestine 
  • Large intestine 
  • Rectum
  • Anus