Biology
The Role of Gut Microbiota in Host Nutrition and Immunity in Herbivores
Quick fact
A single cow's rumen teems with over 10¹² microbes per milliliter, which together produce up to 70% of the cow's daily energy needs in the form of volatile fatty acids—all from grass that the cow itself cannot break down.
Why this is interesting
You know that feeling after a huge salad, when you feel full but a bit bloated? For a cow or a rabbit, that salad is their entire life—and they can't digest the toughest parts without a secret army of tiny helpers. How do they do it?