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Humans are unable to get metabolic energy from cellulose because they lack the enzymes necessary to chemically break it down. Since the human body can't properly digest cellulose, it's passed in the feces.

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9y ago
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12y ago

Well some animals can digest cellulose, such as cows.. However human cant digest cellulose because we dont have the enzyme to breakdown cellulose. Cows have bacteria that makes the enzyme to breakdown cellulose in their digestive system, thats why they can digest Cellulose, but we dont have the bacteria and that kind of enzyme.

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12y ago

In order for a substrate to be digested within any organism, the organism should possess the specific enzyme which has the capability to digest the specific substrate.

The enzyme cellulase is required to digest cellulose, which is not present within the human digestive system.

Ruminants digest cellulose by harboring commensals within their digestive tract. These commensals have cellulase and can digest cellulose.

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13y ago

because human body contain only "alpha" form of the enzyme "phosphorylase" (so we can make use of glycogen), but cellulose utilization needs "Beta" form of the enzyme. the latter is present only in animals body.

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13y ago

cellulose is made of beta glucose, we do not have the proper enzymes to break them down

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13y ago

Vegetarians eat more than just cellulose!!

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13y ago

cellulose has to be converted into acitic acid by enzyme.in the absence of it, cellulose can not be digested

d.k.jain

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11y ago

Because humans don't have the enzyme called cellulase which functions in the breaking down of cellulose.

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Q: Why do animals do not digest cellulose?
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Related questions

What part of the digestive system is cellulose digestive?

None. Animals that can digest cellulose host special bacteria to digest the cellulose molecules, and humans do not host these.


Why is cellulose important to plant?

The cell walls of plants are made of cellulose. Approximately 33 percent of all plant material is cellulose. Humans cannot digest cellulose, but animals such as cows and horses can digest cellulose for food.


Do buffalo have specialized digestive tract to digest plant cellulose?

Animals such as cows, horses, sheep, goats, and termites have symbiotic bacteria in the intestinal tract that contain the enzymes that allow them to digest cellulose in the GI tract. No vertebrate (animals with an internal skeleton) can digest cellulose directly; all must use the enzyme to break down cellulose.


How do grass eating animals digest cellulose?

They have appendix as a working organ, its vestigial in humans.


Why people dont eat things with very high levels of cellulose?

People cannot digest cellulose


Which organisms can digest cellulose and how they are able to do this?

Micro-organisms, such as bacteria, are able to digest cellulose. No mammals are able to digest cellulose. This is because cellulose contains a β(1,4) linkage that no mammalian enzyme can break. This is why herbivores must have symbiotic bacteria somewhere in their digestive system that help them break down cellulose.


What does the appendix has to do with inability to digest cellulose?

the appendix digest cellulose, but human appendix does not work.


Can ants digest cellulose?

Ants cannot digest cellulose. Termites can, but only because of symbiotic microorganisms in their digestive system. Termites are sometimes called white ants but they belong to a completely different insect order.


What type organisms digest cellulose in the intestinal tract of humans?

None. Humans can't digest cellulose. Bacteria in the large intestine can digest some cellulose, creating gas and vitamin K.


Can peptidase digest cellulose?

No


Can amylase digest cellulose?

no


What Does The Rumen Digest?

Cellulose.