feces

feces
/fee"seez/, n. (used with a pl. v.)
1. waste matter discharged from the intestines through the anus; excrement.
2. dregs; sediment.
Also, esp. Brit., faeces.
[1425-75; late ME < L faeces grounds, dregs, sediment (pl. of faex)]

* * *

or excrement or stools

Solid bodily waste discharged from the colon through the anus during defecation.

Normal feces are 75% water. The rest is about 30% dead bacteria, 30% indigestible food matter, 10–20% cholesterol and other fats, 10–20% inorganic substances, and 2–3% protein. The colour and odour are produced by bacterial action on chemical constituents. Many disorders produce abnormalities in the feces, usually constipation or diarrhea. Bleeding in the stomach or intestines may show up as dark red to black stools. Tests are needed to detect small amounts (occult blood). High fat content usually indicates disease of the pancreas or small intestine. Many diseases are spread by contamination of food with feces of infected persons.

* * *

also spelled  faeces , also called  excrement 

      solid bodily waste discharged from the large intestine through the anus during defecation. Feces are normally removed from the body one or two times a day. About 100 to 250 grams (3 to 8 ounces) of feces are excreted by a human adult daily.

      Normally, feces are made up of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. About 30 percent of the solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30 percent consists of indigestible food matter such as cellulose; 10 to 20 percent is cholesterol and other fats; 10 to 20 percent is inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2 to 3 percent is protein. Cell debris shed from the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract also passes in the waste material, as do bile pigments (bilirubin) and dead leukocytes (white blood cells). The brown colour of feces is due to the action of bacteria on bilirubin, which is the end product of the breakdown of hemoglobin (red blood cells). The odour of feces is caused by the chemicals indole, skatole, hydrogen sulfide, and mercaptans, which are produced by bacterial action.

      Many diseases and disorders can affect bowel function and produce abnormalities in the feces. constipation is characterized by infrequent evacuations and the production of excessively hard and dry feces, while diarrhea results in frequent defecation and excessively soft, watery feces. Bleeding in the stomach or intestines may result in the passage of blood with the stool, which appears dark red, tarry, or black. Fatty or greasy stools usually indicate pancreatic or small-intestine afflictions. Typhoid (typhoid fever), cholera, and amoebic dysentery are among diseases (infectious disease) spread by the contamination of food with the feces of infected persons.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • fèces — [ fɛs ] n. f. pl. • 1515; lat. fæces, de fæx « lie, excrément » 1 ♦ Pharm. (Chim. anc.) Lie qui se dépose au fond d un récipient contenant un liquide trouble qu on laisse reposer. 2 ♦ Physiol. Excréments solides de l homme et des animaux, formés… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • fécès — fèces [ fɛs ] n. f. pl. • 1515; lat. fæces, de fæx « lie, excrément » 1 ♦ Pharm. (Chim. anc.) Lie qui se dépose au fond d un récipient contenant un liquide trouble qu on laisse reposer. 2 ♦ Physiol. Excréments solides de l homme et des animaux,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • feces — FECES. s. f. p. Terme de Chimie, & de Medecine, Le marc, la lie qui restent dans l alembic, aprés la distillation. Jetter les feces qui sont demeurées dans l alembic …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Feces — Fe ces, n. pl. dregs; sediment; excrement. See {F[AE]ces}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Feces — (lat.), so v.w. Faeces …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • fèces — m fiziol., {{c=1}}v. {{ref}}fekalije{{/ref}} ✧ {{001f}}lat …   Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika

  • feces — also faeces, c.1400, dregs, from L. faeces sediment, dregs, pl. of faex (gen. faecis) grounds, sediment, lees, dregs, of unknown origin. Specific sense of human excrement is from 1630s …   Etymology dictionary

  • feces — fèces m DEFINICIJA fiziol., v. fekalije ETIMOLOGIJA lat. faeces: izmetine ← faex: izmetina, talog …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • feces — (Brit. faeces) ► PLURAL NOUN ▪ waste matter remaining after food has been digested, discharged from the bowels. DERIVATIVES fecal adjective. ORIGIN Latin, plural of faex dregs …   English terms dictionary

  • feces — [fē′sēz΄] pl.n. [L faeces, pl. of faex, dregs, lees] waste matter expelled from the bowels; excrement …   English World dictionary

  • Feces — Fecal Matter redirects here. For the American grunge band, see Fecal Matter (band). Not to be confused with excretion …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”