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caecum| In the digestive system of animals, a blind-ending tube branching off from the first part of the large intestine, terminating in the appendix. It has no function in humans but is used for the digestion of cellulose by some grass-eating mammals. |
| The rabbit caecum and appendix contains millions of bacteria that produce cellulase, the enzyme necessary for the breakdown of cellulose to glucose. In order to be able to absorb nutrients released by the breakdown of cellulose, rabbits pass food twice down the intestine. They egest soft pellets which are then re-eaten. This is known as coprophagy. |
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