Cellulose in grass

Carbohydrates occur in every living organism. The starch in food and the cellulose in grass are nearly pure carbohydrate. Modified carbohydrates form part of the coating around all living cells, and other carbohydrates are found in the DNA that carries genetic information from one generation to the next. 

Ruminants can produce massive amounts of glucose from propionate. In cows, the cellulose in grass is converted to propionate by bacteria in the rumen. This substrate is then used to generate more than 5 lb glucose each day by the process of gluconeogenesis. 

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