Colon (anatomy)

The colon is a part of the large intestine. It is between the cecum and the rectum. The colon takes water from the feces that goes through it. The colon in mammals can be divided into four sections:
 the ascending colon
 the transverse colon
 the descending colon
 the sigmoid colon

Ascending colon
This part of the colon goes from the cecum (where the small intestine  ends) up the right hand side of the abdomen.

Transverse colon
This part of the colon goes across the from the ascending colon. It goes underneath the stomach and the pancreas and joins the descending colon near the spleen.

Descending colon
This part of the intestine is about 30 cm in length. It travels down the left side of the abdomen. It is possible to have medical problems with the descending colon including ulcers, cancer and Crohn's disease.

Sigmoid colon
This is the small "S" shaped part of the colon, about 40 cm in length, which goes from the bottom of the descending colon into the centre of the pelvis to the rectum. It gets its name from the Greek letter "s", sigma.

References

 Other websites 
 Overview and diagrams at seer.cancer.gov 
 Video: What is Colorectal Cancer? 

Category:Anatomy of the digestive system