What is a gizzard?
Q: What is a gizzard?
A: A gizzard is a part of the stomach of certain animals which grinds food.
Q: Which animals have grinding teeth and therefore do not need a gizzard?
A: Animals with grinding teeth do not need a gizzard.
Q: Which animals have a gizzard?
A: Many animals have a gizzard, including pterosaurs and birds, dinosaurs, and crocodilia, as well as many fish and crustacea.
Q: How does the gizzard work?
A: The gizzard works by the animal eating gravel and small stones which grind against the food in the gizzard, which is muscular and lined with tough material.
Q: How does the gizzard work in birds?
A: In birds, after the food passes through the stomach acid, it goes to the muscular stomach (also called ventriculus), i.e., the gizzard, where it is ground with previously swallowed stones before passing back to the true stomach.
Q: What protects the muscles in the gizzard of birds?
A: The muscles in the gizzard of birds are protected by a tough layer made of the carbohydrate-protein complex koilin.
Q: Do all animals have a stomach and a gizzard?
A: No, not all animals have a stomach and a gizzard. For example, grasshoppers have the gizzard before the stomach, while earthworms have only a gizzard and no stomach.
