Large Intestine: Anatomy & Physiology of the Digestive System
Completes absorption, manufactures certain vitamins, forms feces, expels feces.
- Movements of the colon begin when substances pass into the ileocecal sphincter.
- The large intestine is approx. 1.5 m long and 6.5 cm in diameter.
- It extends from the ileum to the anus.
- The last stage of digestion occurs in the colon through the activity of the bacteria that live in the lumen. Chyme is prepared for elimination by the action of bacteria. The passage of chyme into the cecum is a slow process.
It is divided into four principle regions:
- Cecum
- Colon
- Rectum
- Anal canal