Glossary

  • Motility
    Ability to move spontaneously and actively. This process consumes energy and can be affected by environmental factors. Motility may refer to the ability to move food though digestive tract (peristaltic) or mobility of bacteria thanks to flagella, for example.
  • Mucin
    Protein contained in the composition of several mucosae.
  • Polysaccharides
    Succession of several sugars molecules.
  • Redox Potential
    This measures the capacity to exchange electrons between two corposants during a reaction. Many enzymatic reactions are oxidation-reduction. This parameter allows researchers to evaluate anaerobiosis in the rumen.
  • Rhizoids
    Filamentous growth that permit the fixation of fungi on a substrate.
  • Secondary metabolites
    Organic compounds that are not directly involved in the growth, development or reproduction of an organism. They are more specific for plants, bacteria and fungi.
  • Symbiotic relationship
    This is the association between two organisms belonging to different species. Symbiosis can vary between mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. In mutualism, both organisms benefit. In commensalism, one benefits and the other is unaffected. In parasitism, one benefits and the other is harmed.
  • Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA)
    The microbial ecosystem in the rumen ferments carbohydrates into VFAs. These products are absorbed though the rumen wall into the blood and used like energy source for the animal. The three main VFAs are acetic acid, butyric acid and propanoic acid.
Page 2 of 2