Why do pandas love bamboo? A "symbiotic partner" hidden in their bodies!

(All pictures in this issue are from the copyright gallery of Photo Network)

When you mention "national treasure", you will definitely think of pandas; and when you mention pandas, the image of them eating bamboo will come to mind. As China's national treasure, pandas are deeply loved by people for their cute appearance and unique eating habits.

I have seen their true appearance in the zoo, they are so cute! I was so happy to see them that I couldn't help but take many photos. Okay, let's get back to the topic. In this issue, we are going to discuss why pandas love to eat bamboo so much? How do they digest the bamboo they eat every day? Do pandas have special digestive genes? The answer may surprise you!

Although giant pandas belong to the order Carnivora and have carnivorous teeth and digestive tract, they have a special liking for bamboo. This is because during millions of years of evolution, pandas lost the T1R1 gene that senses the umami taste of meat. Therefore, giant pandas gradually turned to bamboo as their main food source.

Although pandas rely almost entirely on bamboo for their diet, they have not evolved genes to digest bamboo. So how do pandas get nutrients from bamboo? The answer lies in their "symbiotic partners" - ciliates.

Ciliates are usually found in the digestive tract of herbivores. However, the discovery of ciliates in the stomach of a monogastric carnivorous animal like the giant panda is unprecedented worldwide!

They seek out bamboo fiber in the panda's digestive tract and break it down into sugars, providing the panda with some essential nutrients. This symbiotic relationship is essential to the panda's survival.

Since bamboo has low nutritional value, pandas need to eat a lot to maintain their energy needs. Adult giant pandas now generally spend at least 12 to 18 hours a day eating, which is why we can always see pandas eating bamboo non-stop.

Next time when you see a panda eating bamboo, think about the little friends hidden in its body. It is the existence of these little friends that allows the panda to live leisurely in the bamboo forest.