Large Intestine
The large intestine is a large muscular tube responsible for resorption of water and electrolytes, the formation and expulsion of feces, and the manufacture of certain vitamins, mainly vitamin K.
The large intestine begins at the right side of the abdomen directly above the pelvic girdle. The initial portion, where the appendix is attached, is called the cecum.
Beyond the cecum, it is called the ascending colon and extends upward vertically along the right side of the abdomen. At the under face of the liver, the colon turns and crosses the abdominal cavity from the right to left; this portion is called the transverse colon.
The descending colon, also called the sigmoid colon because of its S-shape, begins near the spleen and then travels downward until it reaches the pelvic cavity. The rectum is the lowest end of the intestine which leads into the anus.
References
Lockhart, R.D., G.F. Hamilton, et. al. 1974. Anatomy of The Human Body. Faber and Faber Limited. London. 697 pp.
Van Amerongen, C. The Way Things Work; Book Of The Body. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1979.
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