This mush floated over into the omasum, where all thewater was squeezed out and the material became a dry ball. This ball droppedinto the abomasum, which contained hydochloric acid and pepsin, and wherethe final digestion took place, and the reindeer lived happily ever after. Of the four chambers named above, the rumen is the one being researched. Inside the rumen are bacteria, fungi, protozoans and viruses. One of the four is the Phylum Ciliophora.
Ciliates move using tiny hair-like projections called cilia.
Some ciliatesalso use their cilia for feeding. The ciliates and the caribou have a symbiotic relationship. The animalreceives the benefits of digestion, as well as the extra protein when theciliates die as part of the normal life cycle. The ciliates are protectedin a warm safe environment where there is a constant supply of food andan absence of free oxygen. The type of ciliates that live in the rumen willdie if exposed to oxygen because they metabolize using a method called anaerobicrespiration.