Medical Terms and Colon 101 Information

Everyone at Digestion Health believes that the first step to getting well is taking responsibility for your own health.  In this, we believe that research is the key to understanding your own body and how to care for it.  In learning about the colon and colon health, it is important to understand some basic anatomy terms before you embark on your journey of learning.

Vocabulary Words: *definitions from Wikipedia

Colon: In anatomy of the digestive system, the colon, also called the large intestine or large bowel, is the part of the intestine from the cecum ('caecum' in British English) to the rectum.

Cecum: The cecum or caecum is a pouch connected to the large intestine and the ileum. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve (ICV) or Bauhin's valve, and is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine and part of the colon.

Ascending colon: The ascending colon is on the right side of the abdomen. It is the part of the colon from the cecum to the hepatic flexure (the turn of the colon by the liver).

Traverse colon: The transverse colon is the part of the colon from the hepatic flexure (the turn of the colon by the liver) to the splenic flexure (the turn of the colon by the spleen). The transverse colon hangs off the stomach, attached to it by a wide band of tissue called the mesocolon.

Descending colon: The descending colon is the part of the colon from the splenic flexure to the beginning of the sigmoid colon. It is retroperitoneal in two-thirds of humans. In the other third, it has a (usually short) mesentery.

Sigmoid colon: The sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine after the descending colon and before the rectum. The name sigmoid means S-shaped (see sigmoid). The walls of the sigmoid colon are muscular, and contract to increase the pressure inside the colon, causing the stool to move into the rectum.

Rectum: The rectum is the last part of the colon. It holds stool prior to defecation.

Peristalsis: the process of involuntary wave-like successive muscular contractions by which food is moved through the digestive tract. The large, hollow organs of the digestive system contain muscles that enable their walls to move. The movement of organ walls can propel food and liquid and also can mix the contents within each organ. Typical movement of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine is called peristalsis.

Dexter: Right side of the body, or body part to the right.

Sinister: Left side of the body, or body part to the left.