COLON PHYSIOLOGY

PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS OF THE COLON

 Absorption of water and electrolytes from the chyme to form

solid feces
 Storage of fecal matter
 MOVEMENTS OF THE COLON

 Mixing Movements of the Colon – “Haustrations

 The circular muscle in the colonic wall contracts thereby creating a
constriction
 Simultaneously, the longitudinal muscle, taeniae coli contracts
 MOVEMENTS OF THE COLON

 Propulsive Movements – “Mass Movements”

 A modified type of peristalsis characterized by
 (1) Formation of constrictive ring just before a distention in the colon
 (2) Rapidly, 20 or more cm of colon distal to the constrictive ring lose
their haustrations and instead contracts as a unit, propelling the
fecal material

 Gastrocolic and Duodenocolic Reflexes – initiates mass

movements of the colon
 SECRETION OF MUCUS BY THE LARGE
INTESTINE
 The mucosa of the large intestine has many crypts of
Lieberkuhn but has no villi
 Mucus cells – secretes mucus which protects the intestinal
wall against excoriation, provides adherent medium for
holding fecal matter together, protects the intestinal wall
from great amount of bacterial activity and protects the
intestinal wall from acidity
 ABSORPTION IN THE LARGE INTESTINE:
FORMATION OF FECES
 The large intestine has a high capability for active absorption
of sodium and as well as chloride, as a result of the electrical
gradient formed by the absorption of sodium.
 Absorption of sodium and chloride ions creates an osmotic
gradient across the large intestinal mucosa, which in turn
causes absorption of water
 BACTERIAL ACTION IN THE COLON

 Numerous bacteria, (colon bacilli) – capable of digesting

small amounts of cellulose, which provides extra nutrition for
the body

 Vitamin K, Vitamin B12, Thiamine, riboflavin and various

gases – formed by bacterial activity in the colon