Human feces
Human feces, also known as fesces, vary significantly in appearance, depending on the state of the whole
digestive system, influenced by diet and
health. Normally they are semisolid, with mucus coating. Small pieces of harder, less moist feces can sometimes be seen impacted on the
distal end .
Meconium is a newborn
baby's first feces.
Due to its taboo, feces is a subject of toilet humor.
A diet high in
cellulose results in bulky stools.
Encyclopedia
Human feces, also known as fesces, vary significantly in appearance, depending on the state of the whole
digestive system, influenced by diet and
health. Normally they are semisolid, with mucus coating. Small pieces of harder, less moist feces can sometimes be seen impacted on the
distal end .
Meconium is a newborn
baby's first feces.
Due to its taboo, feces is a subject of toilet humor.
A diet high in
cellulose results in bulky stools.
Composition
Approximately 75% of an ordinary sample of human feces is water. This percentage changes; diarrhea has more water than average and the longer the piece is in the bowels, the more water is taken out. Of the remaining 25%, 1/3 is dead bacteria. Another 1/3 of the remaining quarter is indigestible food, such as
cellulose.
Feces disposal
Main articles: Toilet, Latrine, Sewage.The problem of efficient feces disposal existed since the times when people started to live in permanent settlements, primarily for the reasons of cleanliness and odor. Toilets were known in ancient
India , in
Ancient Rome,
Egypt and
China.
Over time it has become clear that the disposal of feces is an issue of hygiene, since feces contribute to spreading of diseases and intestinal parasites. It is a matter of attention and education in
developing countries.
Until about the end of the 19th century, the primary concern of sewage collection and disposal was to remove waste away from inhabited places, and it was common to use waterflows and larger bodies of water as a destination of sewage, where waste could be naturally dissipated and neutralized. With the increased population density this is no longer a viable solution, and special processing of sewage is required. The lack of the latter is a grave sanitary and public health problem in developing countries.
Tourism
Nature reserve organizations, parks, and
tourist agencies often issue regulations for tourists aimed at the prevention of the pollution of the nature. In particular,
catholes , i.e., pits for feces, must be located at a reasonable distance from water sources , to avoid possible bacterial contamination of water via precipitation, as well as away from trails. For faster feces decomposition, organic soil is preferred over sandy mineral soil. It is also recommended to avoid concentration of catholes around campsites. Filled catholes must be covered with a reasonably thick layer of soil, to prevent access by animals, some of which are
coprophagous.
Some areas require special instructions on human waste disposal. In rocky places, with the absence of soil, it is advised to spread feces thinly by smearing over rocks with good sun access for faster sterilization by
UV radiation and drying. In larger snow fields, a larger distance from trails and campsites may be mandated, if the waste is being disposed under snow.
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, a euphemism 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.
Feces will usually be required for
microbiological testing, looking for an
intestinal pathogen.
Biochemical tests done on feces include fecal elastase and fecal fat measurements, as well as tests for fecal occult blood.
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 .
- Microscopic examination for intestinal parasites and their ova .
- Routine culture.
Routine culture involves streaking the sample onto
agar plates containing special additives, such as
MacConkey 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.
Yellowing of feces can be caused by an infection known as
Giardiasis, which derives its name from
Giardia is a flagellate [i]d protozoa [i]n parasite [i] that infects the gastrointestinal tr...
, a tiny parasitic organism. If
Giardia infects the intestines it can cause severe yellow diarrhea. This is a dangerous communicable infection and must be reported.
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.
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, signaling a need for medical attention.
In children with certain illnesses, feces can be blue or green. Eating green or leafy food can turn feces green. Babies when digesting solid food for the first time also produce feces which tends to be green and of unusual consistency because of the presence of cells discarded during development of the digestive tract.
Food with large amounts of
food color can cause feces to be colored.
The main pathogens that are commonly looked for in feces include:
See also
External links
