The Colon - The Waste Disposal System Of The Body

The Colon is the biggest part of the large intestine and is considered to be an important part of the human digestive system.

It is approximately 5 feet long and is regraded as a tube-shaped muscular organ of the human body. Any abnormal changes in its shape or connectivity with other organs may lead to digestive ailments.

When we eat anything the colon retain the water and the salts from the food. It also absorbs the essential nutrients from the food. What then remains is the waste material. This part of the digestive system helps in the evacuation of this waste material as well. Thus it is an important element of the digestive system.

The Colon consists of many parts, namely:

* Descending colon

* Sigmoid colon

* Redundant colon

* Ascending coloart of the colon is approximately 12.5 cm long and is present on the right side of the abdomen. It extends from the cecum to the hepatic flexure(turn of colon by liver).

* Transverse colon: It is regarded as the colon part which extends from the hepatic flexure to the splenic flexure(turn of colon by the spleen). It is attached by a wide tissue band (greater omentum)to the stomach. It hangs off the stomach with the help of these tissues. It is considered to be mobile in nature as it is encased in peritoneum (the transparent serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity and reflected inward at various places to cover the visceral organs). The water from the food is absorbed in this particular region.

* Sigmoid Colon: It is regarded as the colon part that starts at the point where the descending colon ends and extends to the rectum. The walls of this colon tends to contract to raise the pressure within the colon and thereby helping in the movement of stool to the rectum.

*Redundant Colon: This part of the colon are not present normally. It is formed when the organ is longer-than-normal and form extra loops. It does not have any major health consequences.

Thus, the Colon is regraded as an vital body part which helps in proper digestion. Any disorder in this part can lead to serious health implications. Regular medical checkup can prove to be beneficial in the detection and treatment of this dreaded disease.

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