Intestinum, der Hohlraum im Körper vielzelliger Tiere, der der Verdauung dient. Der D. des erwachsenen Menschen ist 89 m lang. Er wird unterteilt in Dünn-D., Dick-D. u. Mast-D. Er befördert den im Magen vorbereiteten Speisebrei durch rhythm. Zusammenziehen (Peristaltik) seiner längs- u. ringförmig angeordneten Muskulatur durch alle seine Abteilungen zum After. D.krankheiten entstehen häufig von der Nahrung aus durch Krankheitserreger, die sich im D. ansiedeln, z.B. Cholera, Ruhr, Typhus, Paratyphus u. Tuberkulose. Häufigste D.geschwulst: Mastdarmkrebs.
ETYM Old Eng. bouel, bouele, Old Fren. boel, boele, French boyau, from Latin botellus a small sausage, in Late Lat. also intestine, dim. of Latin botulus sausage.
1. One of the intestines of an animal; an entrail, especially of man; a gut; -- generally used in the plural.
2. Hence, figuratively: The interior part of anything.
ETYM Old Eng. gut, got, AS. gut, prob. orig., a channel, and akin to geótan to pour. Related to FOUND to cast.
1. The stomach or belly.
2. (Usually in the plural) An intestine; a bowel; the whole alimentary canal; bowels; entrails.
3. One of the prepared entrails of an animal, esp. of a sheep, used for various purposes.
4. The sac of silk taken from a silkworm (when ready to spin its cocoon), for the purpose of drawing it out into a thread.
ETYM Latin intestinum: cf. French intestin. Related to Intestine.
In vertebrates, the digestive tract from the stomach outlet to the anus. The human small intestine is 6 m/20 ft long, 4 cm/1.5 in in diameter, and consists of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum; the large intestine is 1.5 m/5 ft long, 6 cm/2.5 in in diameter, and includes the cecum, colon, and rectum. Both are muscular tubes comprising an inner lining that secretes alkaline digestive juice, a submucous coat containing fine blood vessels and nerves, a muscular coat, and a serous coat covering all, supported by a strong peritoneum, which carries the blood and lymph vessels, and the nerves. The contents are passed along slowly by peristalsis (waves of involuntary muscular action). The term intestine is also applied to the lower digestive tract of invertebrates.
The part of the alimentary canal between the stomach and the anus; SYN. bowel, gut.
ETYM Latin rumen, -inis, the throat.
The first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant; here food is collected and returned to the mouth as cud for chewing; SYN. first stomach.
First stomach of ruminant; cud. The large first compartment of the stomach of a ruminant in which cellulose is broken down by the action of symbiotic microorganisms — compare abomasum, omasum, reticulum.
ETYM Cf. French intestinal.
Of or relating to or inside the intestines; SYN. enteric, enteral.