However well the anatomy of the gastro-intestinal tracts of a wide range of mammals is 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 of the 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 utilisation. Macroscopic and ultrastructural studies of the gastro-intestinal 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.

Biochemical, physiological and morphological aspects of mammalian digestive systems.
Reviews
'In conclusion, the book is well presented and scholarly. It is likely to be enjoyed on a first reading and used often thereafter, because of the wide range of information it presents.' The Queen's University of Belfast, Anatomy Journal



Book Information
ISBN 9780521440165
Author D. J. Chivers
Format Hardback
Page Count 464
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 891g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 160mm * 29mm