colon

Examples of colon in the following topics:

• Colons

• Portugese Colonization of Brazil

• Colons

  • The colon has a wide range of uses.
  • The most common use is to inform the reader that whatever follows the colon proves, explains, defines, describes, or lists elements of what preceded the colon.
  • The elements that follow the colon may or may not be complete sentences.
  • Because the colon is preceded by a sentence, it is a complete sentence whether what follows the colon is another sentence or not.
  • Similar to a dash and a quotation mark, a segmental colon can introduce speech.

• Polyps in the Colon

  • Colon polyps, abnormal growths of tissue in the colon, are of concern due to their potential for harboring cancerous cells.
  • Colon polyps are not commonly associated with symptoms.
  • Colon polyps are a concern because of the potential for colon cancer being present microscopically and the risk of benign colon polyps transforming over time into malignant ones.
  • Even though colon cancer is usually not found in polyps smaller than 2.5 cm, all polyps found are removed since the removal of polyps reduces the future likelihood of developing colon cancer.
  • Colonoscopies are preferred over sigmoidoscopies because they allow the examination of the entire colon, a very important aspect considering that more than half of the colonic polyps occur in the upper colon which is not reached during sigmoidoscopies.

• Colonization and Growth

  • Some colonizing bacteria, such as Corynebacteria sp. and viridans streptococci, prevent the adhesion and colonization of pathogenic bacteria.
  • Colonization of the stomach lining by this bacterium can lead to gastric ulcer and cancer.
  • An example of the former is the anaerobic bacteria species, which colonizes the mammalian colon, and an example of the latter is various species of staphylococcus that exist on human skin.
  • Neither of these colonizations are considered infections.
  • Some colonizing bacteria, such as Corynebacteria sp. and viridans streptococci, prevent the adhesion and colonization of pathogenic bacteria.

• Diverticular Disease

  • Diverticulosis, also known as diverticular disease, is the condition of having outpocketings of the colonic mucosa and submucosa due to weaknesses of muscle layer in the colon wall.
  • The clinical forms of colonic diverticulosis are uncomplicated and complicated colonic diverticulosis.
  • The strength of the colon decreases with age in all parts of the colon, except the ascending colon.
  • Colonic diverticulosis increases in frequency with age.
  • Diverticulosis as seen endoscopically, showing characteristic diverticula in the colon, which are outpocketings of the colonic mucosa and submucosa through weaknesses in the muscle layers in the colon wall.

• Elimination

  • Undigested food enters the colon where water is reabsorbed into the body and excess waste is eliminated from the anus.
  • After food passes through the small intestine, the undigested food material enters the colon, where most of the water is reabsorbed.
  • Recall that the colon is also home to the microflora called "intestinal flora" that aid in the digestion process .
  • The semi-solid waste is moved through the colon by peristaltic movements of the muscle and is stored in the rectum.
  • Constipation is a condition where the feces are hardened because of excess water removal in the colon.

• Anatomy of the Large Intestine

  • The large intestine consists of the cecum and colon.
  • From here it continues up the abdomen (ascending colon), then across the width of the abdominal cavity (transverse colon), and then it turns down (descending colon), continuing to its endpoint at the anus (sigmoid colon to rectum to anus) .
  • Scheme of large intestine, with colon marked: cecum; (1) ascending colon; (2) transverse colon; (3) descending colon; (4) sigmoid colon; rectum and anus.

• Digestive System Development

  • Components derived from the gut proper, including the stomach and colon, develop as swellings or dilatations of the primitive gut.
  • The midgut is the lower duodenum, to the first two-thirds of the transverse colon lower duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, appendix, ascending colon, and first two-thirds of the transverse colon.
  • The hindgut is the last third of the transverse colon, descending colon, rectum, and upper part of the anal canal.

• Abdominopelvic Regions

  • Pain in this region is associated with malrotation of the intestine and colon.
  • The right lumbar region consists of the gallbladder, the left kidney, part of the liver, and the ascending colon.
  • The left lumbar region consists of the descending colon, the left kidney, and part of the spleen.
  • It also contains the transverse colon (the section between the ascending and descending colons) and the bottom portions of both the left and right kidney.
  • The left illiac region contains part of the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the right illiac fossa.