HB-066 · Digestive · Part
Large intestine
Also called: large intestine, colon Intestinum crassum
3D anatomy data Classes 6-8 · Classes 9-10 · Classes 11-12 Beginner Draft - educator review
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Parts: caecum; appendix; ascending; transverse; descending; sigmoid colon; rectum
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About
The large intestine absorbs water and salts and forms faeces, helped by gut bacteria.
- 📍 Where it is
- Frames the abdomen: caecum and appendix lower right, then ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colon, rectum.
- 🧱 Structure
- Wide tube with pouches (haustra) and three muscle bands (taeniae coli).
- ⚙️ What it does
- Water and salt absorption, vitamin production by bacteria and storing waste until it is removed.
💡 Key facts
- It is about 1.5 metres long.
- Trillions of helpful bacteria live there.
- The appendix hangs from the caecum.
✗ The appendix is useless
✓ It contains lymphoid tissue and may help gut bacteria recover.
📒 Words to know
- colon
- main part of the large intestine
- appendix
- small tube off the caecum
- taenia coli
- muscle band of the colon
🏫 Related lessons
- Food and nutrition Classes 1-5
- Food, nutrition and health Classes 6-8
- Life processes Classes 9-10
Generic GayaGnan topic lessons. Check your own board's syllabus for the exact chapter.
🔎 Sources and credits
Catalog description: Colon and terminal digestive tract.
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, ch. 23 (digestive system) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- 3D models: BodyParts3D (DBCLS) and the Human Reference Atlas (HuBMAP), CC BY 4.0, with GayaGnan schematics. 3D model credits
For learning only. This site does not give medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not collect any health data.