Cow Anatomy
Cow Anatomy, Well Suited For Grazing And Choice Cuts
A depiction of the cow anatomy for beef cattle is apt to show a cow covered by dashed lines, where the cow parts are expressed in terms of cuts of meat. If you're a beef lover this is important information, and we'll briefly discuss what parts of the cow are used for which cuts or types of beef. For dairy cattle, the interesting anatomical feature is the arrangement of the cow's stomachs, showing how we eventually get milk.
In general, most cows, dairy and beef, weigh in the neighbor hood of 1,000 to 1,500 pounds, with bulls averaging from 2,000 to 2,300 pounds. Being an herbivore, the mouth is adapted for grazing and chewing. A cow's mouth contains 32 teeth, consisting of 24 molars (6 on the top and the bottom on each side), and 8 incisors on the bottom. On the top there is hard pad which, in combination with the incisors, makes a very efficient grazing mechanism.
If you see cows grazing much of the time it might be because they have four stomachs to fill! The first of these is the Rumen, the largest of the stomachs, which can hold up to 50 gallons of partially digested food. It is the part of the cow where initial digestion takes place, and in which protein, needed by the cow, is produced. The second chamber, the Recticulum, serves a dual purpose. It stores things, like small pieces of wood, which the cow shouldn't have eaten in the first place. It also further softens grass passing from the Rumen, transforming it into the cud that the cow will chew again, and swallow again. The third chamber, the Omasum, acts as a kind of filter. All the food that has been digested in the Rumen and the Reticulum is filtered, and broken down further. Finally, digestion is completed in the Abomasum, the cow's fourth stomach, which functions much like our own. Nutrients from the part of the food that the cow needs are passed into the bloodstream. The remainder passes into the intestines where cow pies are manufactured.
It is cellular activity which removes certain nutrients from the cow's bloodstream, and converts them into milk. The milk is produced in the part of the cow known as the udder. The udder consists of four separate compartments, each one having a teat which, when squeezed, will produce a small stream of milk.
The backside, or topside, on most cows is fairly straight and is the part of the cow containing the choice cuts of meat. From the hindquarters we get porterhouse and sirloin steaks plus the choice roasts. The rump and round, at the back of the cow, provides steaks, roasts and stew meat. The sides and underneath cuts provide ribs, and beef for corned beef, stews and soups. Shoulder cuts are often used in pot roasts.
Other interesting features of cow anatomy would be the ears, which can turn in any direction to be on the alert for possible danger. Cows also have long tails with a whisk at the end which comes into play in keeping insects away. Bulls have horns, as do females of some breeds. The horns vary greatly in size from breed to breed. The Texas Longhorn has horns that can span over 5 feet between tips. The breed having the largest horns is the Watusi, with a spread of up to 8 feet and whose horns can approach 8” in diameter at the base. The cow anatomy consists of many interesting parts, performing many interesting functions.