Which class of animals is characterized by having a stomach with four compartments?

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The class of animals characterized by having a stomach with four compartments is ruminants. Ruminants, such as cows, sheep, and goats, have a specialized stomach structure that includes four distinct compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.

This unique multi-compartmental stomach allows ruminants to efficiently digest fibrous plant material. Initially, food is fermented in the rumen, where microbial action breaks down complex carbohydrates. From there, it moves to the reticulum, where further mixing and fermentation occur. The omasum helps absorb water and nutrients, and finally, the abomasum functions similarly to a monogastric stomach by using digestive enzymes to break down proteins.

This adaptation allows ruminants to extract maximum nutrients from their herbivorous diet, which predominantly consists of tough plant materials that would be difficult to digest in a single-chambered stomach. In contrast, monogastric animals have a single-chambered stomach, hindgut fermenters have a different digestive system located in the intestines, and carnivores typically possess a simple stomach that processes meat more directly.

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