What are the colon and the rectum?
The colon and the rectum are part of the digestive tract. Together, they form a long tube called the large intestine. This is also called the large bowel. The colon is the first 6 feet of this tube. It absorbs water from digested food and stores waste until it passes out of the body. The rectum is a pouchlike structure that makes up the last 8 to 10 inches of the large bowel. It expands to hold waste matter before it passes out of the body through the anus as a bowel movement (stool).
