Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
The rectum of mammals (other than monotremes) is derived from the cloaca of other vertebrates, and is, therefore, not truly homologous with the "rectum" found in these species. [59] In some fish, there is no true large intestine, but simply a short rectum connecting the end of the digestive part of the gut to the cloaca.
The function of the GI tract is to process ingested food by mechanical and chemical means, extract nutrients and excrete waste products. The GI tract is composed of the alimentary canal, that runs from the mouth to the anus, as well as the associated glands, chemicals, hormones, and enzymes that assist in digestion.
The coordinated contractions of these layers is called peristalsis and propels the food through the tract. Food in the GI tract is called a bolus (ball of food) from the mouth down to the stomach. After the stomach, the food is partially digested and semi-liquid, and is referred to as chyme. In the large intestine the remaining semi-solid ...
Most of the digestion of food takes place in the small intestine which is the longest part of the GI tract. The largest part of the GI tract is the colon or large intestine . Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste matter is stored prior to defecation .
The human rectum is a part of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The rectum is a continuation of the sigmoid colon, and connects to the anus. The rectum follows the shape of the sacrum and ends in an expanded section called an ampulla where feces is stored before its release via the anal canal.
Food taken in through the mouth is digested to extract nutrients and absorb energy, and the waste expelled at the anus as feces. Gastrointestinal is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the stomach and intestines. Most animals have a "through-gut" or complete digestive tract.
Food comes through the esophagus, goes behind all of the other organs in the thoracic cavity, and comes out through the point where the esophagus opens up into the stomach. The stomach is a more acidic environment to aid its role in beginning the major processes of digestion.
The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the pancreatic duct to aid in digestion. The small intestine is about 5.5 metres (18 feet) long and folds ...