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large intestine
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Illustration of the large intestine showing labeled anatomical features such as the rectum, colon, and anus, with an inset highlighting regions of the colon and a detailed cross-section of the intestinal wall layers, including mucosa, crypts, goblet cells, muscle layers, and serosa. The Human Body Diagram of the human digestive system viewed from the front, showing and labeling organs including the mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, large intestine, small intestine, appendix, rectum, and anus.
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Illustration of the large intestine showing labeled anatomical features such as the rectum, colon, and anus, with an inset highlighting regions of the colon and a detailed cross-section of the intestinal wall layers, including mucosa, crypts, goblet cells, muscle layers, and serosa.
structures of the human large intestine, rectum, and anus The mucosa of the large intestine is punctuated with numerous crypts that absorb water and are lined with mucus-secreting goblet cells. At the lower end of the rectum, the circular and longitudinal muscle layers terminate in the internal and external anal sphincters.

large intestine

anatomy
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large intestine, posterior section of the intestine, consisting typically of four regions: the cecum, colon, rectum, and anus. The term colon is sometimes used to refer to the entire large intestine. The large intestine is wider and shorter than the small intestine (approximately 1.5 metres, or 5 feet, in length as compared with 6.7 to 7.6 metres, or 22 to 25 feet, in length for the small intestine) and has a smooth inner wall. In...

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