As humanity becomes more civilized, many of us perceive that eating livestock is morally incorrect, but aren't we designed to be omnivores? Our teeth and digestive system function to break down animal and plant foods and deliver these important nutrients to all parts of the body. Despite the fact that in 2011, U.S. meat and poultry production reached over 92.3 billion pounds, the ethics of killing and eating animals as well as concern over the environmental burden caused by production of meat are questionable. However, an animal-based diet is necessary for the human body to function properly and we can choose meat produced on environmentally friendly farms to avoid moral ambiguity. Anatomy and Physiology Factor Some groups of people who live on a plant-based diet argue that the human digestive system does not digest animal meat well. Mills (2009) suggests that the human digestive system is created for plant-based foods: “The human gastrointestinal tract exhibits anatomical features consistent with a herbivorous diet” (p.1). However, human anatomy and physiology require us to consume both animals and plants. , imagine living like a cow; chewing grass and hay all day, do you think your stomach will process the grass well? Of course not! Our digestive system is completely different from that of a cow, according to Orr (2004), "rather than a single human stomach, the cow has 4 connected stomachs which store the enormous amount of grass she first eaten, then swallow it again. the cow’s mouth is chewed more finely” (p. 1). There are also countless numbers of microscopic microorganisms that help absorb the grass down to the molecular level of the cow's body. Additionally, grass...... middle of paper...... retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/11/the-comparative-anatomy -of-eating.htmlOrr, AI (February 4, 2014). How cows eat grass. . Accessed May 7, 2014, from http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm255500.htm Smil, V. (July 19, 2013). Should humans eat meat? (Extract). . Retrieved May 8, 2014 from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/should-humans-eat-meat-excerpt/ The concept of the ecosystem. (October 31, 2008). . Accessed May 8, 2014, from http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/kling/ecosy stem/ecosystem.htmlUniversity of Colorado Denver. (October 4, 2012). Anthropologist discovers evidence of hominid meat eating 1.5 million years ago: Eating meat may have 'made us human'.ScienceDaily. Accessed May 10, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121004093508.htm