The secret of rapid digestion of crocodiles

2008/02/07 Lakar Iraizoz, Oihane - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Biokimika
• Zoologia

Animals of order crocodilia, gabials, lighteners and crocodiles, are able to send directly to the stomach the blood without oxygen that reaches the heart to help digest quickly the rations of meat. At the University of Utah they have shown that they are able to do so and that the blood rich in carbon dioxide helps a faster digestion, as some glands of the stomach need carbon dioxide to produce gastric acids. In an experiment, several crocodiles cut the way from the heart to the stomach and saw that digestion was much slower than other crocodiles.