The intestines are separated into two major sections: the small and the large intestine. However, the rectum is also considered to be a part of the intestines because it accounts for the end segment of the large intestine. The intestines begin at the end of the stomach and end and the anus; the stomach opens into the small intestine, which opens into the large intestine.
The small intestine is approximately one inch in circumference, and around 20 feet in length. The primary role of the small intestine, or the small bowel, is to absorb the majority of the nutrients from a food source during consumption. The small intestine contains smooth muscle, accounting for the small intestine’s uniform appearance.
Ironically, the large intestine is much shorter than the small intestine, only being around 5 feet in length. Yet, the large intestine is greater in diameter than the than the small intestine, having a circumference of nearly three inches, indicating that the intestines are named based on their diameter, not their length. The primary role of the large intestine is to create the byproduct of food: feces; once food passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, the large intestine absorbs the remaining liquids from consumed food to form a waste product that is stored in the rectum and released via the anus, which are the end portions of the excretory system.
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