What Does The Colon Do?

When people eat food through the mouth then it is being chewed by the teeth into smaller pieces. Later the salivary glands release juices to help. On the other hand, tongue and saliva turn the food into smaller pieces and it easily gets fit into the esophagus. An esophagus is a 10-inch-long tube that connects to the stomach. The muscles in the esophagus help the food to move into the stomach. When the food reaches into the stomach, then the gastric juices such as protein substances known as enzymes break down the food into smaller bits. Later the powerful muscles of the stomach churn up the food into a creamy liquid and this material moves into the small bowel.

Once the liquid food moves into the small bowel then, the food particles even get into smaller pieces. Here in small bowel the juices from pancreas, liver, and gallbladder get mixed together and all important vitamins and nutrients in food move through the blood vessels that are lined up in the small bowel. The blood takes the nutrients into the other organs of the body and its nutrients are being used to help the repair cells and tissue.

Now whatever left into the bowel is moves into the colon and the water is absorbed into the colon. The bacteria break down into the remaining material and move the leftover material into the rectum. The rectum is a storage holder for this waste so the muscles in the rectum move the waste called stool out of the body through the anus.