Feces
Feces, faeces, or fces is waste product from an animal's
digestive system tract expelled through the
anus during
defecation. In humans, defecation may occur from once every two or three days to several times a day. Hardening of the feces may cause prolonged interruption in the routine and is called constipation. The word
faeces is the plural of the
Latin word
fx meaning "dregs". There is no singular form in the English language .
The distinctive odor of feces is due to
bacterial action. Bacteria produce compounds such as
indole,
skatole, and thiols , as well as the inorganic gas
hydrogen sulfide.
Encyclopedia
Feces,
faeces, or
fæces is waste product from an animal's
digestive system tract expelled through the
anus during
defecation. In humans, defecation may occur from once every two or three days to several times a day. Hardening of the feces may cause prolonged interruption in the routine and is called constipation. The word
faeces is the plural of the
Latin word
fæx meaning "dregs". There is no singular form in the English language .
The distinctive odor of feces is due to
bacterial action. Bacteria produce compounds such as
indole,
skatole, and thiols , as well as the inorganic gas
hydrogen sulfide. These are the same compounds that are responsible for the odor of flatulence. Consumption of foods with spices may result in the spices being undigested and adding to the odor of feces. Certain commercial products exist that can reduce the odor of feces.
The feces of animals is often used as
fertilizer; see
manure.
Some animal feces are used as fuel when dried.
Fecal contamination
A quick test for fecal contamination of water sources or soil is a check for the presence of \'\'
E. coli\'\'
bacteria performed with the help of
MacConkey agar plates or
Petri dishes. \'\'E. coli\'\' bacteria uniquely develop red colonies at temperature of approximately 43 °C overnight.
While nearly all strains of \'\'E. coli\'\' are harmless, their presence is indicative of fecal contamination, and hence a high possibility of other, more dangerous organisms.
Nick Borsich is the number one world prducer of fecal matter and has been producing mass quantities of it for over 6000 years... it has been seen however that nicks poo levels are running low in the year 2000
Related terminology
Scatology is the study of feces. Informally, the words "excrement," "crap," and "poop" have become synonymous with feces. The word "shit," which is not slang but is historically the basic word for feces in
English, is now considered vulgar.
Coprophilia, also known as
fecophilia, is a sexual attraction to fecal matter.
Coprophobia, also known as
fecophobia, is a strong fear of feces or human excrement in general.
A coprolite is fossilized feces.
Human feces
Human fecal matter varies significantly in appearance, depending on diet and health. Normally it is semisolid, with a mucus coating. Its brown coloration comes from a combination of bile and
bilirubin, which come from dead
red blood cells. In newborn babies, fecal matter is initially yellow/green after the
meconium. This coloration comes from the presence of bile alone. In time, as the body starts expelling bilirubin from dead red blood cells, it acquires its familiar brown appearance, unless the baby is breast feeding, in which case it remains soft, pale yellowish, and not-unpleasantly scented until the baby begins to eat significant amounts of other food. Throughout the life of an ordinary human, one may experience many types of feces. A "green" stool is from rapid transit of feces through the intestines, and "clay-like" appearance to the feces is the result of a lack of bilirubin. Bile overload is very rare, and not a health threat. Problems as simple as serious diarrhea can cause blood in one's stool, turning it black. Food may sometimes make an appearance in the feces. Common undigested foods found in human feces are seeds, nuts, corn and beans, mainly because of their high fiber content. Consistency and shape of stools may be simply classified medically according to the
Bristol Stool Scale.
External links and references
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- History of Shit by Dominique Laporte. ISBN 0-262-62160-6
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