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Cows do not digest cellulose cell walls because they, as an animal, are incapable of producing a special enzyme, called cellulase, to do the job. The cellulose-digesting bacteria in their rumen, however, are capable of producing such an enzyme and are thus responsible for digesting cellulose and helping the cow obtain essential nutrients from coarse plant material where she cannot.

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11y ago
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16y ago

Because they do not have the specific enzyme (which are produce by bacteria's in most herbivores located in their stomach) that can break down the cellulose. Even though it is a form of glucose,its structure is very rigid and very hard to be broken down into simpler substrates unless with the specific enzyme.

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15y ago

Animals do not have the right enzymes to digest fiber.

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13y ago

Because you lack the bacteria that produce the cellulase enzyme.

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Q: Why you cannot digest cellulose like the cattle do?
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Related questions

Humans cannot digest carbohydrate?

Complex answer: Cellulose is a polysaccharide that provides structural support for plants. Humans cannot digest cellulose. Thus, you cannot digest wood, which is mostly cellulose. :Simple answer Humans cannot digest the carbohydrate cellulose. Soures:AP biology class, Textbook :3


Can ants digest cellulose?

Ants cannot digest cellulose. Termites can, but only because of symbiotic microorganisms in their digestive system. Termites are sometimes called white ants but they belong to a completely different insect order.


Is wood part of a ladybug diet?

No, they do not digest cellulose like termites.


Why is it humans cannot use cellulose as a nutrient?

Humans lack the necessary enzymes to efficiently break down cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls, into digestible sugars. Our digestive system is not equipped to process cellulose as effectively as herbivores like cows or termites, which have specialized gut bacteria to help digest cellulose.


What makes cellulose nondigestable in humans?

We lack the enzyme cellulase... and we don't have bacteria in our stomachs that do like cows, only bacteria can digest cellulose.


Why are humans not able to use cellulose for energy?

Humans lack the necessary enzymes to break down cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls, into glucose, which can then be used for energy. Unlike herbivores like cows and sheep, humans cannot digest cellulose efficiently due to the lack of cellulase enzymes in their digestive system.


What type of glycosidic bond humans can digest?

Humans can digest α-glycosidic bonds found in starch and sucrose, which are broken down by enzymes like amylase and sucrase.β-glycosidic bonds, found in cellulose and some oligosaccharides, cannot be digested by humans as they lack the necessary enzymes like cellulase.


Can we digest beta glycosidic form?

No, humans lack the necessary enzymes to digest beta glycosidic bonds. These bonds are typically found in indigestible fibers like cellulose.


Is cellulose digestible?

Cellulose is a type of complex carbohydrate found in plant cell walls. While humans lack the enzymes necessary to digest cellulose, some animals like cows and termites have specific gut bacteria that can break it down. This is why cellulose is considered a dietary fiber for humans, providing bulk to our diet and aiding in digestion.


Can you eat grass?

Grass has cellulose, which humans do not have the bacteria to digest, like cows or horses do. You can eat it, but you can't really digest it for energy. Also, something about not having a working appendix.


Why can't the human body break down cellulose?

The human body lacks the enzyme needed to break down cellulose, called cellulase. Cellulase is produced by certain microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoans, which help them digest cellulose in their diet. Since humans do not produce cellulase, we cannot directly break down cellulose for energy.


What are the brown thread like things in stool?

It is probably just fiber from vegetables or fruits you eat, because fiber is cellulose and humans cannot digest it so it passes out whole (which is good to cleanse your colon). Don't worry.