Essay On Colon

1442 Words3 Pages

Anatomy/Physiology The main purposes of the colon are to absorb water and electrolytes to compact the feces for expulsion and expulsion of the feces. The length of the colon is roughly one to one and a half meters and the diameter spans from two to eight centimeters. The colon is made up of seven sections. These sections are the cecum, the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, the rectum and the anal canal.
The first section of the colon is the cecum. It is approximately seven centimeters long and is often wider in diameter than most of the other segments of the colon. The cecum is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. The cecum has no mesenteric attachment making it very moveable. It is held in position by the peritoneum.
The ascending colon starts at the ileocecal valve and journeys up the right side of the abdominal cavity, ending at the hepatic flexure. The ascending colon is secured in its position by peritoneum to the posterior abdominal wall and the hepato-renal ligament at the hepatic flexure. The ascending colon is roughly …show more content…

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, responsible for more than 57,000 deaths in 2001 alone. Colon polyps, which can lead to colon cancer, are found in about 30-40% of people aged 60 or older- and the risks of polyps increase with age” (Lerche Davis, 2003). Most cases of colon cancer start as small adenomatous polyps. Many people experience no signs or symptoms in the early stages of colon cancer. Some signs and symptoms can include diarrhea, constipation, or any change in consistency of your stool that continues for longer than a month. Any bleeding from the rectum or blood found in the stool can also be a sign of colon cancer. Continuing abdominal pain, cramps, gas, weakness, fatigue and unexplained weight loss could all be signs of rectal cancer in the patient (Staff,

Open Document