The Digestive System in Mammals: Food Form and Function [Paperback]

D. J. Chivers (Editor), P. Langer (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521020859 | ISBN-13: 978-0521020855 | Publication Date: October 6, 2005

However well the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tracts of a wide range of mammals are described and quantified, there can be no real explanation of observed patterns without consideration of the mechanical and chemical properties of the food consumed, and digestive stages involved in its processing. This book aims to integrate findings from the many different types of investigations of mammalian digestive systems into a coherent whole. Using the themes of food, form and function, researchers discuss models of digestive processes, linking this with evolutionary aspects of food utilization. Macroscopic and ultrastructural studies of the gastrointestinal tract are also presented, as are physiological, ecological and biochemical aspects of the digestion of different food types. The book ends with an integrative chapter, bringing together the themes running through the earlier sections.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Overall this is an impressive volume. Its contributions are, more often than not, authoritative reviews of past, present and future research goals in some lively area of ecological morphology and physiological ecology." John G. Fleagle, Quarterly Review of Biology

Book Description

Using the themes of food, form and function, this integrative book examines the various types of food eaten by mammals, and the anatomical, physiological and ecological aspects of the processes used to digest food types.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521020859
• ISBN-13: 978-0521020855
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,106,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)