Balantidium is a Phylum Protozoa, a member of the order of Heterotricha.
Balantidium coli occurs in the cecum of swine, where it does no harm. However, on being transmitted to primates it can cause acute and even hemorrhagic diarrhoea and ulceration of the gut wall. Research Balantidium
The cecum is the large, primary section of the large intestine, which accepts fluid food-by-products from the ileum of the small intestine through the ileocecal orifice. About eight centimeters long, the cecum transmits this by-product to the ascending section of the colon. Research Cecum
The colon is the central part of the large intestine. Extending from the cecum to the rectum, it is descriptively subdivided into four parts: the ascending, the transverse, the descending, and the sigmoid colon. The ascending colon extends upward from the cecum to lead into the transverse portion. The transverse extends across the abdominal cavity from the end of the ascending part to lead into the descending section of the colon. The descending colon extends from the end of the transverse colon to the sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon connects the end of the descending colon to the rectum. The rectal and sigmoid sections are often referred to as the rectosigmoid. Research Colon
The large intestine is a broad, corrugated tube which accepts the by-products of digestion from the small intestine and passes it along to be excreted, continuing to process the material on the way. Any unabsorbed food materials are stored in the large intestine until the body can partially reabsorb water from it, then passing the remains along to the anus for elimination. The overabsorption of water from the waste material may lead to hard, relatively dry faeces which can become impacted, making elimination difficult. This condition is known as constipation. If not enough liquid is reabsorbed, as often caused by some viral infections or malnutrition, the large intestine passes too much fluid to the anus, making control of elimination difficult. This condition, and the fluid (which is often painful to the anal tissues) is known as diarrhea. The
large intestine is divided into eight sections: the cecum, the appendix, the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, the rectum, and the anus. Research Large Intestine
The lingual tonsils (tonsilla lingualis) are a pair of oval-shaped organs located at the back of the tongue behind the foramen cecum and the sulcus terminalis in the mucousmembrane covering the tongue. They enlarge gradually from birth to about seven years of age and then shrinks. Each oval consists of a large number of lymphoid follicles. The lingual tonsils are part of the lymphatic system and are important to the body's defense against infection. They are composed of lymphoid tissue, which contains germ-killing cells. The tonsils help protect against upper respiratory tract infection. Research Lingual Tonsil
The small intestine is descriptively divided into three sections: the duodenum, the ileum, and the jejunum. The duodenum accepts the digested food paste, called chyme, from the stomach, through the pylorus sphincter. The duodenum is about ten inches long and forms a curve around the head of the pancreas. The duodenum secretes digestive enzymes invertase and erepsin, necessary for digestion. The gall bladder, liver, and pancreas also deposit enzymes and bile into the duodenum. The jejunum is the intermediate section of the small intestine, measuring a little over two meters long. The jejunum carries digested food through the small intestine rapidly by peristaltic waves and, as a result, seldom has much food matter in it. It is connected to the abdominal wall by the mesentery. The ileum is the last, and longest, segment of the small intestine, measuring up to four meters or longer. Most of the absorption of useful food nutrients takes place in the ileum before it empties out into the cecum of the large intestine. Research Small Intestine
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Balantidium
