Where is the descending colon located in the human body

The descending colon is located on the left side of the large intestine, extending from the bend below the spleen to the sigmoid colon. The descending colon stores the food to be emptied into the rectum. The colon is held in place by peritoneum, a thin layer of tissue that supports the abdominal organs. Blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves all pass through the peritoneum to reach various organs.

The jejunum is one of three sections that make up the small intestine. Learn about its function and anatomy, as well as the conditions that can affect…. The masseter muscle is a facial muscle that plays a major role in the chewing of solid foods. The muscle is shaped similar to a parallelogram…. The posterior cecal artery is located in the abdomen near the lower intestines.

It branches from the ileocolic artery and may branch further to the…. The anterior cecal vein is a blood vessel in the large intestine. Specifically, it serves the side of the organ that features the vermiform appendix….

The small intestine is made up of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. What Is Cancer? Cancer Statistics. Cancer Disparities. Cancer Causes and Prevention. Risk Factors. Cancer Prevention Overview. Cancer Screening Overview.

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Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. What is the colon? The colon is a vital part of your personal plumbing system. The tubular organ works around the clock to remove waste products from your body. As part of the digestive system , the colon works alongside organs such as the stomach and small intestine to remove stool and maintain your fluid and electrolyte balance.

This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. Although it is an amazing organ, it is possible to live without a colon. People have portions of their colon removed in surgery every day—surgical bowel resection is one of the treatment options for colon cancer. However, all six feet of your colon, also called the large intestine, serve a purpose. The majority of the nutrients you eat are absorbed in the small intestine well before the "food" reaches your colon.

The colon must reabsorb water and electrolytes to form a stool. This is why, when you are dehydrated, you can get constipated and your stool may become hard and difficult to pass. The colon is pulling more fluid from the stool for your body to use. The colon is not labeled very creatively—most of the labels for the colon correspond to their anatomical location and flow of stool.

Your large intestine is broken down into six sections including the cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and the rectum. The colon begins at the end of the small intestine, where it is called the cecum, and ends at the rectum.

Cancers of the large intestine are casually referred to as colon, rectal or colorectal cancer. The cecum is anatomically located in the lower right sight of your abdomen approximately where your appendix is attached.

The cecum is the widest part of your entire colon and is approximately 5 centimeters long, or a third as long as a pen. Between 15 and 20 percent of all colon cancers occur in the cecum. The ascending colon heads up vertically from the cecum to the transverse colon. The juncture between the cecum and transverse colon is called the right colic flexure, or the hepatic flexure for its proximity to your liver hepatic system. Anatomically, the ascending colon is about 10 centimeters long and is seated on the right side of your abdomen.

The transverse colon connects your ascending and descending colon, traveling lengthwise across your abdomen. The transverse colon lies close to your stomach, liver, and gallbladder and is approximately 50 centimeters long. The descending colon begins at the left colic flexure, also known as the splenic flexure for its proximity to the spleen. This portion of your colon lies in the left side of your abdomen, connecting your transverse colon to your sigmoid colon. The descending colon is approximately 10 centimeters long.

The sigmoid colon makes up the last 50 centimeters of the colon leading to the rectum and typically has an 'S' curve or shape to it. The rectum is the final portion of your large intestine leading to the anus. The digestive process has completely finished by the time stool reaches the rectum, where it waits to be passed as a bowel movement.