Faeces
Faeces
Faeces (pronounced: /ˈfiːsiːz/), also known as stool or excrement, is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during a process called defecation.
Etymology
The term "faeces" is derived from the Latin faex meaning "dregs". There is no certain etymology for the word, but it is speculated that it may be related to fæces, the plural of fæx meaning "lees, sediment".
Definition
Faeces is the solid or semisolid remains of food that could not be digested in the small intestine. Bacteria in the large intestine further break down the material. Faeces contains water, undigested food such as dietary fiber, bacteria, and dead cells from the lining of the gut.
Related Terms
- Defecation: The final act of digestion, by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus.
- Digestive system: The system used in the human body for the process of digestion which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
- Anus: The opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid waste matter leaves the body.
- Cloaca: The posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts of certain animal species.
- Dietary fiber: The indigestible portion of food derived from plants.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Faeces
- Wikipedia's article - Faeces
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