Term for animals with a single stomach.

• A. Ruminant
• B. Omnivore
• C. Monogastric
• D. Nonruminant

Answer: (C)

Monogastric refers to animals with a single-chambered stomach. In these species digestion occurs in one main stomach before moving on to the small intestine. This contrasts with ruminants, which have a four-chambered stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) that allows extensive fermentation before digestion continues. Because of this anatomy, animals with a single stomach are described as monogastric. Examples include humans, pigs, dogs, and, despite their large guts for fiber, horses are also considered monogastric since their stomach is a single chamber, with much fermentation occurring in the hindgut rather than the stomach. Omnivore describes diet, not stomach structure, so it isn’t a descriptor of stomach anatomy. Nonruminant is a less precise term that doesn’t specify whether the stomach is single- or multi-chambered, which is why monogastric is the best fit.