The excretions of humans from the intestine are called feces. He has thereby in comparison to the urine a firm consistency. Its color is brown and its smell is unpleasant.
What is feces?
Feces is a product of the intestines. It consists of water, bacteria, portions of food not used or utilized by the body, and dead cells of the intestinal lining. Due to fermentation and putrefactive gases, it smells harsh and unappetizing. Feces has many different names in the vernacular, which include shit and poop. It is often used as a swear word in this regard, which has given rise to the technical term fecal language specific to it. Another neutral term is stool or defecation. It was modified in the 16th century from the personal chair, which was an early form of toilet with a hole in the seat and a pot attached underneath. The study of defecation is a discipline in its own right because, especially in the days before modern medicine, urine and feces were the only bodily excretions that allowed for a judgment of the body’s internal processes and any imbalances. This discipline still exists today and is called scatology. Even today, stool samples are taken, for example, to track colon cancer through hidden blood.
Composition
The digestion and decomposition of food begins as soon as it is ingested in the mouth. In the stomach, gastric acid penetrates the food pulp within 90 minutes. Regular movements of the muscles mix it, which accelerates decomposition. Then the porridge is forced through the gate into the duodenum, which is the first stop in the small intestine. Through the bile and the pancreatic secretion, the pulp is further and in a final way decomposed. Through the intestinal mucosa, the required nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the places where they are needed. In the small intestine, a large part of the water is also extracted from the porridge. Then, in the large intestine, the remaining water is extracted. Via the rectum, the feces reaches the anus and from there it is excreted from the body. It consists of fiber, undigested lipids, starch, and connective tissue and muscle fibers. Pigments from bile called bilirubin and biliverdin are broken down, giving feces its brownish color. Indole and skatole, two chemical substances produced during the breakdown of proteins, are responsible for the unpleasant odor. Hydrogen sulfide, produced during the digestion of sulfur-containing proteins, contributes its part to the odor.
Function and tasks
The function of feces is to carry unused or unusable portions of food out of the body. Feces also consists to a small extent of muscle fibers, mucus, and dead intestinal cells, and thus contributes significantly to the body’s self-cleansing process. Its consistency, color and odor are also important indicators of any diseases that may be present. Normal colors here are all brown levels as well as green when spinach is eaten and red when beetroot is eaten. Black is referred to as tarry stools, unless it is due to licorice consumption. It indicates blood and thus indicates a possible tumor. Also, the deviating consistency from a formed homogeneous mass can also indicate diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever or amoebic dysentery. In these cases, the stool is referred to as rice water-like, pea porridge-like, or raspberry jelly-like. If the feces smells sour, foul, or like blood, the digestive process is impaired and needs closer examination. A healthy person has bowel movements once or twice a day to every two to three days, during which they defecate. The range is quite wide because it varies from person to person.
Diseases and complaints
Diarrhea, or diarrhea, is when the stool is of liquid consistency. The defecation thus occurs several times throughout the day and occurs suddenly with great urgency. The occurrence of diarrhea is a symptom and not a disease in itself. The most common triggers are infections and food poisoning. In this case, diarrhea represents a self-cleansing of the body, which in most cases is effective and goes away on its own. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and take electrolytes to prevent deficiency. Constipation or constipation means that no feces is passed for several days.Triggers can be psychological stress factors, but malnutrition and insufficient fluid intake can also be the reason. Normally, it helps to reduce the psychological stress and change the diet. If this does not work and physical complaints such as abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen or other impairments occur, it is advisable to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Colorectal cancer is the second most common type of cancer. The risk of developing it is between four and six percent. It occurs mainly in seniors, when malignant cancerous tumors develop in the colon from benign intestinal polyps. Signs of this are blood and mucus in the feces, because they upset the function of the intestine. As a result, the patient often loses a lot of weight quickly. The examination is done rectally and via colonoscopy. If cancer is found, in most cases the affected section of the intestine is surgically removed. In addition, chemotherapy is administered.
