The Digestive System

Large Intestine

Welcome to the part of the digestive system that manufactures your poo. The large intestine is made up of:

1.Cecum - the proximal end where the large and small intestine meet.

2. Colon - consists of four parts:

• ascending colon
• transverse colon
• descending colon
• sigmoid colon

3. Rectum - a straight muscular tube that readily expands to store feces prior to defecation.

Large intestine and anal canal. The large intestine maybe as long as you. 1.2m - 1.8 m

Do You Know...?

...Chronic constipation can be due to slow movement of feces through:

• the entire colon
• the descending colon and rectum or,
• the rectum?

That is, if you are having a physical problem. One study on people claiming to be chronically constipated revealed that one third of them do not have the slow movement of feces as described above. In fact the movement of feces in their large intestines and their defecation frequency was normal. It was stress that made them think that they are constipated.

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