Elnora Van Winkle wrote:
> > Last semester I took an anatomy class in which the main function of the
> > colon was describes as absorbing water. It absorbs more water than the
> > small intestine, its the last stage in making feces. They also say the
> > colon absorbs the break down products of bacteria. The bacteria are
> > mainly in the colon not the small intestine so if we get anything from
> > the bacteria it would be from absorption by the colon.

> I'd be interested whether they taught anything about the intestinal
> tract as an eliminating system, that is, from the blood stream and lymph
> system. Do any substances from the body pass trough the walls and get
> eliminated? If so in which parts of the tract.

The intestinal tract is of course the main eliminating system of
ingested material. No, the intestinal tract got no credit for performing
eliminating functions for the blood or lymph. The lymph is dumped into
the blood, so that is how it is taken care of. The liver does most of
the detoxifying of the blood. The kidney performs the function of
keeping the blood balanced as to its water content, acidity and mineral
content.

As for substances moving from the the blood to the small intestine, I
don't think so. The system was described as working only the other way,
water and nutrients into the blood and lymph.

Frank.