large intestine

Examples of large intestine in the following topics:

• Anatomy of the Large Intestine

  • The large intestine consists of the cecum and colon.
  • The large intestine is about 4.9 feet (1.5 m) long—about one-fifth of the whole length of the intestinal canal.
  • The large intestine differs in physical form from the small intestine in several ways.
  • Instead of having the evaginations of the small intestine (villi), the large intestine has invaginations (the intestinal glands).
  • While both the small intestine and the large intestine have goblet cells, they are more abundant in the large intestine.

• Histology of the Large Intestine

  • The large intestine has taeniae coli and invaginations (the intestinal glands), unlike the small intestines.
  • The large intestine, or large bowel, is the last part of the digestive system in vertebrate animals.
  • The large intestine consists of the cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal.
  • The large intestine differs in physical form from the small intestine in being much wider.
  • While both the small intestine and the large intestine have goblet cells that secrete mucin to form mucus in water, they are abundant in the large intestine.

• Absorption and Feces Formation in the Large Intestine

  • The large intestine absorbs water from the chyme and stores feces until they can be defecated.
  • After the food has been passed through the small intestine, it enters the large intestine.
  • The large intestine houses over 700 species of bacteria that perform a variety of functions.
  • The large intestine absorbs water from the chyme and stores feces until it can be egested.
  • Describe the process of absorption and feces formation in the large intestine

• Bacterial Flora

  • The largest bacteria ecosystem in the human body is in the large intestine, where it plays a variety of important roles.
  • The large intestine absorbs some of the products formed by the bacteria that inhabit this region.
  • The bicarbonate that the large intestine secretes helps to neutralize the increased acidity that results from the formation of these fatty acids.
  • A mucus layer protects the large intestine from attacks from colonic commensal bacteria.
  • Some factors that disrupt the microorganism population of the large intestine include antibiotics, stress, and parasites.

• Digestive System: Small and Large Intestines

  • Nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine and waste is prepared for elimination in the large intestine.
  • The lower gastrointestinal tract includes the small and large intestines, rectum, anus, and accessory organs.
  • The human large intestine is much smaller in length than the small intestine, but larger in diameter.
  • Due to their diet, carnivorous mammals have a shorter large intestine compared to herbivorous mammals.
  • The rectum is the terminal end of the large intestine.

• Organs of the Digestive System

  • The upper digestive tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and the small intestine; the lower tract includes all of the large intestine, the rectum, and anus.
  • Following nutrient absorption, the food waste reaches the large intestine, or colon.
  • The large intestine is responsible for compacting waste material, removing water, and producing feces—our solid-waste product.
  • Healthy gut bacteria in the large intestine also help to metabolize our waste as it finishes its journey.
  • It then connects to the large intestine, then the rectum, and, finally, the anus.

• Digestive Processes of the Small Intestine

  • The small intestine is where most chemical digestion takes place.
  • Most of the digestive enzymes in the small intestine are secreted by the pancreas and enter the small intestine via the pancreatic duct.
  • Their chemical breakdown begins in the stomach and continues through the large intestine.
  • Other carbohydrates pass undigested into the large intestine, where they are digested by intestinal bacteria.
  • Humans lack the enzyme for splitting the beta-glucose-bonds—that is reserved for herbivores and bacteria in the large intestine.

• Absorption in the Small Intestine

  • Absorption of nutrients occurs partially by diffusion through the wall of the small intestine.
  • The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract between the stomach and the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion of food takes place.
  • The inner wall, or mucosa, of the small intestine is lined with simple columnar epithelial tissue.
  • The food that remains undigested and unabsorbed passes into the large intestine.
  • Describe the role played by the small intestine in absorption of nutrients

• Absorption of Monosaccharides, Amino Acids, Dipeptides, Tripeptides, Lipids, Electrolytes, Vitamins, and Water

  • Most of the digestive enzymes that act in the small intestine are secreted by the pancreas and enter the small intestine via the pancreatic duct.
  • Chemical breakdown begins in the stomach and continues in the large intestine.
  • Other carbohydrates pass undigested into the large intestine for further handling by intestinal bacteria.
  • Humans lack the enzyme for splitting the beta-glucose-bonds, something reserved for herbivores and bacteria from the large intestine.
  • Water and minerals are reabsorbed back into the blood in the colon (large intestine) where the pH is slightly acidic about 5.6 - 6.9.

• Anatomy of the Small Intestine

  • The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that follows the stomach, which is in turn followed by the large intestine.
  • The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine and is the shortest part of the small intestine.
  • The ileum is the final section of the small intestine.
  • The ileum has an extremely large surface area both for the adsorption of enzyme molecules and for the absorption of products of digestion.
  • The villi contain large numbers of capillaries that take the amino acids and glucose produced by digestion to the hepatic portal vein and the liver.