The large intestine
By the time digestive products reach the large intestine, almost all of the nutritionally useful products have been removed. The large intestine removes water from the remainder, passing semi-solid faeces into the rectum to be expelled from the body through the anus. The mucosa (M) is arranged into tightly-packed straight tubular glands (G) which consist of cells specialised for water absorption and mucus-secreting goblet cells to aid the passage of faeces. The large intestine also contains areas of lymphoid tissue (L); these can be found in the ileum too (called Peyer's patches), and they provide local immunological protection of potential weak-spots in the body's defences. As the gut is teeming with bacteria, reinforcement of the standard surface defences seems only sensible...
