Saint Mary’s University

Ss School of Health and Natural Sciences

BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA 3700
Nursing Department
Laboratory Activity No. 10: Feces

CARBONEL Kyla Mae M.

BSN 1A

ABSTRACT

Feces are also known as stool. The stool is one of the symptoms that are bowel movement is normal
when we are going to CR twice a day to remove all the toxins in our body and the things that we
are eating. Also in this activity we are able to determine the characteristics of a stool without using
a microscope and under the microscope. We are able to see if there are components that are stool
has that makes us sick. S

Keywords: Bowel movement, Characteristics, Components, Stool, Toxics

I. INTRODUCTION

Feces, also spelled faeces, also called excrement, solid bodily waste discharged from the large
intestine through the anus during defecation. Feces are normally removed from the body one or
two times a day. Many diseases and disorders can affect bowel function and produce abnormalities
in the feces. Constipation is characterized by infrequent evacuations and the production of
excessively hard and dry feces, while diarrhea results in frequent defecation and excessively soft,
watery feces. Bleeding in the stomach or intestines may result in the passage of blood with the
stool, which appears dark red, tarry, or black. Fatty or greasy stools usually indicate pancreatic or
small-intestine afflictions. Typhoid, cholera, and amoebic dysentery are among diseases spread
by the contamination of food with the feces of infected persons. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia
Britannica)

II. OBJECTIVES

1. To observe and record the general or physiological characteristics of feces.

2. To test for the presence of occult blood in the stool.
3. To test for the presence of bile pigments in the stool.

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

III. MATERIALS
 Feces (stool)
 Litmus paper
 Microscope
 Glacial Acetic Acid
 Benzidine-Hydrogen peroxide
 Saturated solution of mercuric chloride
 Alkaline solution of zinc acetate
 Glass slides
 Cover slips

IV. PROCEDURES
1. Examine your stool, record your observation.
A. Detection of Occult Blood
1. Emulsify a small portion of the stool with 5mL of water.
2. Add and equal volume of ether to remove the fat and later discard the ethereal layer.
3. Take 5 mL of the remaining material and treat with 1 mL glacial acetic acid.
4. Extract with 10 mL of ether.
5. Take a small amount of the above and add equal volume of benzidine or guaiac peroxide
solution.

Formation of bluish or bluish green solution indicates the presence of blood.

B. Detection of bile pigment derivative (Hydrobilirubin)

Schmid’s Test:

1. Mix a small quantity of fecal matter with satureated mercuric chloride solution.
2. Let it stand for 24 hours.

Urobolin give a red solution. A green color show the presence of unchanged bilirubin.

Schlesinger’s Test:

1. Emulsify a small quantity of stool in a test tube with water.

2. To the watery extract add about 5 drops of Lugol’s solution.
3. Add zinc acetate and filter.
4. Set aside for about 2 hours.

A greenish fluorescence shows the presence of urobilin.

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

 C. Microscopic examination of feces
1. Place a small bit of the stool upon a slide.
2. Emulsify a drop of water and cover with a cover slip.
3. The layer should be thin enough.
4. Examine both under high and low power of the microscope.

V. QUESTIONS

1. What is the average normal amount of stool excreted in 24 hours?

2. Describe the average normal form and consistency of stool.
3. What pathological conditions influence the color of the stool?
4. What is responsible for the normal offensive odor of stool?
5. Is mucus normally found in the stool?
6. What common parasites are usually found in the stools?
7. What is diarrhea? Mention some of its causes.
8. What is the principal pigment of the feces?
9. What is occult hemorrhage?
10. Give the clinical significance of occult blood in the stool
11. Is urobilin normally found in the stool?
12. In what pathological condition is urobilin absent in the stool?
13. What is responsible for the normal color of stool?
14. What is the cause of clay-colored stools?

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Characteristics of the stool

Characteristics Observation
Color Yellow
Odor Aromatic

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

 Reaction with litmus Basic
Consistency Solid
Other structures
This table is containing the characteristics of the stool that we used for the activity.

Table 2: Microscopic Examination of feces

Observation
Remnants of food Visible
Cells Not visible
Crystals Visible
Bacteria animal parasites and ova Visible

The table containing the things that we could see in the stool under the microscope.

Normally, feces are made up of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. About 30 percent
of the solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30 percent consists of indigestible food matter
such as cellulose; 10 to 20 percent is cholesterol and other fats; 10 to 20 percent is inorganic
substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2 to 3 percent is protein. Cell debris
shed from the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract also passes in the waste material, as
do bile pigments (bilirubin) and dead leukocytes (white blood cells). The brown colour of feces is
due to the action of bacteria on bilirubin, which is the end product of the breakdown of hemoglobin
(red blood cells). The odour of feces is caused by the chemicals indole, skatole, hydrogen sulfide,
and mercaptans, which are produced by bacterial action. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia
Britannica). A "normal" bowel movement will not produce much mucus. Yellow or clear mucus
is present in such little amounts that the naked eye would not notice it. When stool has visible
mucus, it can be a sign of bacterial infections, anal fissures, a bowel obstruction, or Crohn's
disease. (Jenny Fitzgerald, (2018). The most common intestinal protozoan parasites are: Giardia
intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Cyclospora cayetanenensis, and Cryptosporidium. (Rashidul
Haque, 2007).

Diarrhea is the frequent passage of loose, watery, soft stools with or without
abdominal bloating, pressure, and cramps commonly referred to as gas or flatulence. (John P.
Cunha). Most cases of diarrhea are caused by an infection in the gastrointestinal tract.
The microbes responsible for this infection include bacteria, viruses, parasitic organisms.
The most commonly identified causes of acute diarrhea in the United States are the

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

 bacteria Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Some
cases of chronic diarrhea are called "functional" because a clear cause cannot be found. In the
developed world, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common cause of functional
diarrhea. IBS is a complex of symptoms. There is cramping abdominal pain and altered bowel
habits, including diarrhea, constipation, or both. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is another
cause of chronic diarrhea. It is a term used to describe either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
There is often blood in the stool in both conditions. (Markus MacGill, 2017).

Occult gastrointestinal bleeding is defined as gastrointestinal bleeding that is not visible to the
patient or physician, resulting in either a positive fecal occult blood test, or iron deficiency anemia
with or without a positive fecal occult blood test. (Bull-Henry and Al-Kawas, 2013). Occult blood
in the stool may indicate colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum — though not all cancers
or polyps bleed. Typically, occult blood is passed in such small amounts that it can be detected
only through the chemicals used in a fecal occult blood test. If blood is detected through a fecal
occult blood test, additional tests may be needed to determine the source of the bleeding. The fecal
occult blood test can only detect the presence or absence of blood — it doesn't indicate potential
sources of bleeding. (mayoclinic).

Under normal conditions only small amounts of bilirubin can be found in stools of adults while
urobilinoids are predominant bile pigments (50-250 mg/day). Only negligible amounts of fecal
urobilinoids are present in the intestinal lumen of infants during the first months of their life, due
to undeveloped intestinal microflora capable of reducing bilirubin. This presumably contributes
importantly to the pathogenesis of neonatal jaundice. In adults, the urobilinoid production is highly
efficient. At times, it is re-excreted in the urine, where it may be later oxidized to urobilin.
(pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Changes in stool (feces) color are often harmless and reflect dietary
influences. The normal brown color of stool occurs due to the presence of bilirubin. Bilirubin is
formed as a breakdown product of hemoglobin (from red blood cells) in the liver and is secreted
into the bile, which enters the intestines. If the intestinal contents travel at a normal speed, chemical
changes in bilirubin produce stool that is light to dark brown. The stool may appear green if the
intestinal contents pass through the bowel more rapidly. (Melissa Conrad Stöppler, 2017).

Pale stools are not normal. If your stools are pale or clay-colored, you may have a problem
with the drainage of your biliary system, which is comprised of your gallbladder, liver, and
pancreas. Bile salts are released into your stools by your liver, giving the stools a brown color. If
your liver is not producing enough bile, or if the flow of the bile is blocked and not draining from
your liver, your stools may become pale or clay-colored. (Kivi and Wells, 2017)

VII. GENERALIZATION

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

 For a stool to examine, a feces test is gathered in a perfect holder and afterward sent to the
research facility. Research facility investigation incorporates infinitesimal assessment,
substance tests, and microbiologic tests. The stool will be checked for shading, consistency,
sum, shape, smell, and the nearness of bodily fluid. The stool might be analyzed for concealed
(mysterious) blood, fat, meat filaments, bile, white platelets, and sugars called decreasing
substances. The pH of the stool additionally might be estimated. A stool culture is done to see
whether microscopic organisms might cause a contamination.

VIII. REFERENCE

Bull-Henry and Al-Kawas, Evaluation of Occult Gastrointestinal Bleeding. (2013) Retrieved

from https://www.aafp.org/afp/2013/0315/p430.html

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Feces. (n,d) Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/feces

Fecal occult blood test, (n.d) Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/fecal-

occult-blood-test/about/pac-20394112

Jenny Fitzgerald, What causes mucus in stools? (2018) Retrieved from

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/310101.php

John P. Cunha, Diarrhea. (n.d) Retrieved from

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/diarrhea/article_em.htm#what_causes_diarrhea

Markus MacGill, What you should know about diarrhea. (2017) Retrieved from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158634.php

Melissa Conrad Stoppler, Stool Color & Texture Changes (Black, Red, Maroon, Green, Yellow,
Gray, Tarry, Sticky): Symptoms & Signs. (2017) Retrieved from
https://www.medicinenet.com/stool_color_and_texture_changes/symptoms.htm

Rashidul Haque, Human Intestinal Parasites. (2007) Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2754014/
Urobilinogen. (n.d) Retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Urobilinogen

Urobilinogen in Urine. (2019). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/urobilinogen-in-

urine/

Pale Stools: Possible Causes and When to Seek Help. (n.d) Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/stools-pale-or-clay-colored

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A

IX. DOCUMENTATION

Remnants of foods Animal, Parasites and bacteria

Crystals

BIOCHEMISTRY CARBONEL BSN1-A