cecum

cecum
—cecal, adj. —cecally, adv.
/see"keuhm/, n., pl. ceca /-keuh/. Anat., Zool.
a cul-de-sac, esp. that in which the large intestine begins.
Also, caecum.
[1715-25; short for L intestinum caecum blind gut]

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also spelled  caecum  

      pouch or large tubelike structure in the lower abdominal cavity that receives undigested food material from the small intestine and is considered the first region of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum (the final portion of the small intestine) by the ileocecal valve (also called Bauhin valve), which limits the rate of food passage into the cecum and may help prevent material from returning to the small intestine.

      The main functions of the cecum are to absorb fluids and salts that remain after completion of intestinal digestion and absorption and to mix its contents with a lubricating substance, mucus. The internal wall of the cecum is composed of a thick mucous membrane through which water and salts are absorbed. Beneath this lining is a deep layer of muscle tissue that produces churning and kneading motions.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • cecum — CÉCUM s.n. v. cec2. Trimis de valeriu, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  cécum s. n., pl. cécumuri Trimis de siveco, 07.11.2006. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  CÉCUM s.n. v. cec2 …   Dicționar Român

  • cecum — n. The {caecum}, the cavity in which the large intestine begins and into which the ileum opens. Syn: caecum, blind gut. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cecum — variant of CAECUM (Cf. caecum) …   Etymology dictionary

  • cecum — (Brit. caecum) ► NOUN (pl. ceca) ▪ a pouch connected to the junction of the small and large intestines. DERIVATIVES cecal adjective. ORIGIN from Latin intestinum caecum blind gut …   English terms dictionary

  • cecum — [sē′kəm] n. pl. ceca [sē′kə] [ModL < L caecum < intestinum caecum, blind intestine < caecus, blind < IE base * kai ka, one eyed, squinting > OIr caech, one eyed, blind, Goth haihs, one eyed] 1. the pouch that is the beginning of… …   English World dictionary

  • Cecum — For the genus of sea snails, see Caecum (genus). Not to be confused with sacrum. Cecum …   Wikipedia

  • cecum — (Order Cladocera): Digestive cecum [Stachowitsch, 1992]. (Order Notostraca): One of two outpocketings of midgut. Elongate and extensively branched with carapace. Opens into digestive tract posterior to esophagus/midgut border. (Syn. midgut… …   Crustacea glossary

  • Cecum — The cecum (also spelled caecum), the first portion of the large bowel, situated in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. The cecum receives fecal material from the small bowel (ileum) which opens into it. The appendix is attached to the cecum …   Medical dictionary

  • cecum — caecum cae cum, n.; pl. {C[ae]cums}, L. {C[ae]ca}. [L. caecus blind, invisible, concealed.] (Anat.) (a) A cavity open at one end, as the blind end of a canal or duct. (b) The blind part of the large intestine beyond the entrance of the small… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cecum — Das Caecum in Detailansicht, mit dem terminalen Ileum und Ileozäkalklappe, die Sonde zeigt den Eingang in die Appendix. Der Blinddarm (lat. Caecum, Coecu …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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