Library · Anatomy
Colon
Make it clearer
The large intestine is not all the same thing: the stretch running from the cecum to the rectum is called the colon. The digestive tract does keep going into the rectum, yes, but the rectum no longer counts as a segment of the colon; it is what comes after it.
That stretch is divided into four segments, each with its own name: the ascending colon, which goes up; the transverse, which crosses over; the descending, which goes down; and the sigmoid, the last one before the rectum. It is like a single continuous street that shows up on the map split into four stretches with different names, even though the pavement never breaks.
In brief
The colon is the portion of the large intestine that runs from the cecum to the rectum. The digestive tract continues into the rectum, but the rectum is not part of the colon.
Along that course, the colon is divided into four main segments: the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon.
Sources (2)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesAnatomic Problems of the Lower GI Tract
- National Cancer Institute, SEER TrainingAnatomy of Colon and Rectum
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated