Feces (also spelled faeces in British English, or fæces) are semi-solid waste products from the digestive tract expelled through the anus (or cloaca) during defecation. In humans, defecation may occur (depending on the individual and the circumstances) from once every two or three days to three times a day. Prolonged interruption in the usual routine is called constipation. Diagram showing the geographical locations of selected languages and dialects of the British Isles. ... For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and... Male Anatomy The anus, in anatomy, is the external opening of the rectum. ... In zoological anatomy, a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts of certain animal species. ... Defecation or feceation (known colloquially as pooping or shitting) is the act of eliminating solid or semisolid waste material from the digestive tract. ... Constipation is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or other animal) experiences difficulty in eliminating feces. ...

The distinctive odor of feces is due to bacterial action. Bacteria produce compounds such as indole, skatole, and mercaptans, which are rich in sulfur, as well as the inorganic gas hydrogen sulfide. These are the same compounds that are responsible for the odor of flatulence. Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria is also the fictional name of a warring nation under Benzino Napaloni as dictator, in the 1940 film The Great Dictator... Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound. ... Skatole is a white crystalline organic compound, C9H9N, which has a strong fecal odor. ... In chemistry, thiols (formerly known as mercaptans) are those compounds which contain the thiol group -SH attached to a carbon atom. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16 (VIA), 3, p Density, Hardness 1960 kg/m3, 2 Appearance Lemon yellow at STP Atomic properties Atomic weight 32. ... For other meaning link to H2S radar. ... Flatulence consists of gases that are produced by symbiotic bacteria and yeasts living in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and are released through the anus. ...

The word faeces is the plural of the Latin word faex meaning "dregs". Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

Feces are also known as scat and scatology is the study of feces. Excrement is also another word for feces. Scatology, or coprology, in medicine, biology and paleontology, is the study of feces. ...

Feces are generally a taboo subject (see toilet humour). This is probably because of the need to keep feces well away from food, for health reasons. The word shit is a vulgar term for feces in English. A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ... Public reference to bodily functions such as urination and defecation is taboo in many cultures and thus arouses intense anxiety in many people. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Shit Shit is a vernacular word in Modern English denoting the solid byproduct of digestion. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Coprophilia, also known as fecophilia, is a sexual attraction to feces. Coprophagia is the extremely hazardous practice of eating feces. Coprophilia, also known as fecophilia, is a paraphilia consisting of the condition of feeling sexual excitement focused on feces, often in conjunction with BDSM or infantilism. ... Coprophilia, also known as fecophilia, is a paraphilia consisting of the condition of feeling sexual excitement focused on feces, often in conjunction with BDSM or infantilism. ... Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... Coprophagia is the consumption of feces. ...

Coprophobia, also known as fecophobia, is a strong irrational fear of feces. The English suffix -phobia is used to describe fear or hatred (the latter is often ignored) of a particular thing or subject. ... The term phobia, which comes from the Greek word for fear (φόβος, fobos), denotes a number of psychological and physiological conditions that can range from serious disabilities to common fears to minor quirks. ...

Meconium (also spelled merconium) is a newborn baby's first feces, and is normally passed post-partum. There is a danger that aspiration (inhalation) of meconium can occur if it is passed during labor and delivery. Inhaled meconium can cause a partial or complete blockage of the newborn's airways, and the severity depends on the amount of meconium the baby aspirates. Meconium aspiration affects around 20 percent of all newborn babies worldwide. Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) occurs when infants take meconium into their lungs during delivery. ... A human infant The word Infant derives from the Latin in-fans, meaning unable to speak. ... Childbirth in a hospital. ...

Fossilized feces are known as coprolites, and form an important class of objects studied in the field of paleontology. Coprolites are fossilized feces, or animal dung. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ...

The faeces of animals is often used as fertilizer: see manure. Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying. ... Manure is the term used to refer to the droppings, dung, feces (faeces) or excrement of plant-eating mammals (herbivores) and poultry. ...

Laboratory testing of feces

In the medical profession, feces are referred to as stools. This comes from the Anglo-Saxon word stol, which means "seat". The word stool was originally used to describe the seat one sat on to defecate. So, the expression was that they were "going to stool." By the end of the 16th century, the word stool was used to mean the same thing as feces. The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

Feces will usually be required for microbiological testing, looking for an intestinal pathogen. Microbiology (in Greek micron = small and biologia = studying life) is the study of microorganisms, including unicellular (single-celled) eukaryotes and prokaryotes, fungi, and viruses. ...

Biochemical tests done on feces include fecal elastase and fecal fat measurements, as well as tests for fecal occult blood. Fecal elastase refers to the testing of the concentration of the pancreatic elastase-1 enzyme found in fecal matter with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ... In medicine, a fecal fat test is a diagnostic test for fat malabsorption conditions (also referred to as steatorrhea). ... Fecal occult blood is a term for blood present in the feces that is not visibly apparent. ...

It is recommended that the clinician correlate the symptoms and submit specimens according to laboratory guidelines to obtain results that are clinically significant. Formed stools often do not give satisfactory results and suggest little of actual pathologic conditions.

Three main types of microbiological tests are commonly done on feces:

• Antibody-antigen type tests, that look for a specific virus (e.g. rotavirus).
• Microscopic examination for intestinal parasites and their ova (eggs).
• Routine culture.

Routine culture involves streaking the sample onto agar plates containing special additives, such as MacConkey's Agar, that will inhibit the growth of Gram-positive organisms and will selectively allow enteric pathogens to grow, and incubating them for a period, and observing the bacterial colonies that have grown. Species Rotavirus A (RV-A) Rotavirus B (RV-B) Rotavirus C (RV-C) Rotavirus D (RV-D) Rotavirus E (RV-E) Rotavirus F (RV-E) Rotavirus G (RV-E) Rotaviruses are a genus of viruses belonging to the Reoviridae family. ... Intestinal parasites are parasites that populate the gastro-intestinal tract. ... Original Video Animation (OVA), or Original Animation Video (OAV), is an acronym used in Japan for anime series that are released directly to video, without being first broadcast on television or released on theaters. ... An agar plate is a sterile Petri dish that contains agar plus nutrients, and is used to culture bacteria or fungi. ... MacConkeys Agar is a culture medium designed to grow up Gram-negative bacteria and stain them for lactose fermentation. ... Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by gram staining, in contrast to gram-negative bacteria, which are not affected by the stain. ...

Yellowing of feces can be caused by an infection known as giardia. Giardia are tiny parasitic organisms. If giardia infects the intestines it can cause severe yellow diarrhea. This is a dangerous communicable infection and must be reported. Binomial name Giardia lamblia (Kunstler, 1882) Giardia lamblia (formerly also Lamblia intestinalis) is a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal tract of humans. ... Diarrhea in American English, (spelled diarrhoea elsewhere) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent and watery bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; lit. ...

Another cause of yellowing is a condition known as Gilbert's Syndrome. This condition is characterized by jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperbilirubinemia occurs when too much bilirubin is present in the circulating blood. Gilberts syndrome or familial benign unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia is a genetic disorder of bilirubin metabolism, found in about 5% of the population. ... Jaundice, technically known as icterus, is yellowing of the skin, sclera (eyes) and mucous membranes caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the system. ... Jaundice, technically known as icterus, is yellowing of the skin, sclera (eyes) and mucous membranes caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the system. ... Bilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of haem (heme in American English). ...

Feces can be black if dried blood is present in them from a bleed. More active bleeding can lead feces to be red in color.

In children with certain illnesses, feces can be blue or green. Babies also produce green feces when they are given food for the first time.

The main pathogens that are commonly looked for in feces include:

• Salmonella and Shigella
• Yersinia (this tends to be incubated at 30°C, which is cooler than usual.)
• Campylobacter (incubated at 42°C, in a special environment.)
• Aeromonas
• Candida (if the person is immunosuppressed e.g. cancer treatment.)
• E. coli O157 (if blood is visible in the stool sample.)

Species Salmonella bongori Salmonella choleraesuis Salmonella enterica Salmonella enteritidis Salmonella nyanza Salmonella paratyphi Salmonella typhi Salmonella typhimurium Salmonella virginia Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped Gram-negative enterobacteria that causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid and foodborne illness. ... Species Shigella boydii Shigella dysenteriae Shigella flexneri Shigella sonnei Shigella are Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonsporeforming rod-shaped bacteria. ... Species Y. pestis etc. ... Species see text Campylobacter is a genus of Gram_negative bacteria. ... Candida is a genus of yeasts. ... Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging cause of foodborne illness. ...

See also

• Intestinal parasite
• A1 broth

Intestinal parasites are parasites that populate the gastro-intestinal tract. ... An A1 broth is a liquid culture medium used in microbiology for the detection of fecal coliforms in foods, treated wastewater and seawater bays using the most probable number (MPN) method. ...

External links and references

• Urobilinogen (http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/units/biochem/coursenotes/blanchaer_tutorials/Frank_II/urobilinogen.html)
• Liver biochemistry (http://www.mcevoy.demon.co.uk/Medicine/Pathology/Biochem/Liver/Biochem.html)
• History of Shit by Dominique Laporte (ISBN 0262621606)