Library · Physiology
Colon function
Make it clearer
What arrives at the colon is liquid intestinal contents, and one of its jobs is to absorb water from them, meaning to take away part of that liquid. With that, what was almost broth becomes formed stool: nothing was added, water was taken out, the same way a mixture thickens just because whatever made it runny evaporated.
Its other job is to move things along. The colon contracts, and those contractions push the stool the whole length of its path until they deliver it to the rectum.
In brief
The colon absorbs water from the intestinal contents. By removing some of that water, it turns liquid contents into formed stool.
Contractions of the colon push stool along its length, toward the rectum.
Sources (1)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesYour Digestive System & How It Works
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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