Animal feces often have special names (some of them are slang), for example: Human feces as well as human urine are collectively called human waste or human feces. Containment of human feces and prevention of the spread of pathogens from human feces via the fecal-oral route are the main objectives of hygiene. The appearance of human feces varies depending on diet and health. [11] It is usually semi-solid, with a layer of mucus. A combination of bile and bilirubin, which comes from dead red blood cells, gives the feces the typical brown color. [1] [2] Organisms that feed on dead organic matter or detritus are called detritivores and play an important role in ecosystems by restoring organic matter to a simpler form that plants and other autotrophs can reabsorb. This cycle of matter is called the biogeochemical cycle. Therefore, in order to preserve nutrients in the soil, it is important that feces return to the region from which they come, which is not always the case in human society, where food can be transported from rural areas to the urban population and then disposed of in a river or sea. These sample sentences are automatically selected from various online information sources to reflect the current use of the word “feces.” The opinions expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us your feedback.
Evolution may explain this disgust because feces are an important disease vector and carry many types of microorganisms that can make people sick, including E. coli. In the medical literature, the term “stool” is used more often than “feces.” [3] A coprolite is a fossilized excretion and is classified as a trace fossil. In paleontology, they give clues about the diet of an animal. They were first described by William Buckland in 1829. Previously, they were known as “fossil pine cones” and “bezoard stones”. They serve a valuable purpose in paleontology as they provide direct evidence of the predation and nutrition of extinct organisms. [18] The size of coproliths can vary from a few millimeters to more than 60 centimeters.
Human excrement has always been used for centuries as fertilizer in the form of nocturnal soil, faecal sludge and sewage sludge. The use of untreated human feces in agriculture poses significant health risks and has contributed to widespread infection with parasitic worms – a disease called helminthiasis that affects more than 1.5 billion people in developing countries. The characteristic smell of feces is due to skatole and thiols (sulfur-containing compounds), as well as amines and carboxylic acids. Skatole is made from tryptophan on indoleacetic acid. Decarboxylation gives skatol. [3] [4] Clinical laboratory examination of feces, usually called stool examination or stool analysis, is performed for diagnostic purposes; For example, to detect the presence of parasites such as pinworms and their eggs (OVAs) or to detect bacteria that spread diseases. Stool culture – the controlled growth of microbial organisms in culture media under laboratory conditions – is sometimes performed to identify certain pathogens in the stool. The guaiac in the stool test (or guaiac test for occult blood in the stool) is performed to detect the presence of blood in the stool that is not visible to the naked eye. At different times in their lives, people will emit feces of different colors and textures.
A stool that quickly passes through the intestines appears greenish; The absence of bilirubin makes the stool look like clay. Elephants, hippos, koalas and pandas are born with sterile intestines and need bacteria obtained from their mothers` droppings to digest vegetation. One process that preserves feces so that it can be analyzed later is the Maillard reaction. This reaction creates a sugar shell that protects the feces from the elements. To extract and analyze the information it contains, researchers typically need to freeze feces and grind them into powder for analysis. [21] Human feces, as well as human urine, are collectively referred to as human waste or human feces. In addition, feces can be analyzed for fecal occult blood, which indicates gastrointestinal bleeding. Feces are excreted through the anus or cloaca during defecation. This process requires pressures of 100 millimeters of mercury (3.9 inHg) (13.3 kPa) in humans and 450 millimeters of mercury (18 inHg) (60 kPa) in penguins. [6] [7] The forces needed to expel feces are generated by muscle contractions and a buildup of gas in the intestine, causing the sphincter to reduce pressure and release feces. [7] Attempts to reduce the smell of feces (and flatulence) are largely based on animal studies conducted with industrial applications, such as reducing the environmental impacts of pig farming. See also: Bloating#Management, Smell.
Many dietary changes/supplements have been studied, including: Diarrhea (or diarrhea in British English) is the condition of three or more loose or watery stools per day. [25] This condition can be a symptom of a foodborne injury, illness or illness and is usually accompanied by abdominal pain. There are other conditions that include some, but not all, symptoms of diarrhea, and therefore the formal medical definition of diarrhea involves defecation of more than 200 grams per day (although formal weighing of stool to determine a diagnosis is never performed). Seeds can also be found in feces. Animals that eat fruit are called frugivores.