Anatomy Glossary

a generic term for nondigestible chemical substances found in plant cell walls. Foods high in dietary fiber are fruits, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, and whole-grain cereals and bread. (Source)

An important method of examination performed with a gloved, lubricated finger. Rectal examination can reveal [hemorrhoids]...rectal polyps, rectal cancer...or inflammation in the appendix. (Source)

The first portion of the small intestine, about 25 cm (10 inches) long, extending from the pylorus [of the stomach] to the jejunum. It plays an important role in digestion of food because both the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct empty into it. It is subject to various disorders, the most common of which are peptic ulcers and obstruction...(source)

A thin flexible tube which uses a lens or miniature camera to view various areas of the gastrointestinal tract. The performance of an exam using an endoscope is referred by the general term endoscopy.

Diagnosis through biopsies or other means and therapeutic procedures can be done with these instruments. (Source)

(ep'i-glot'is), A leaf-shaped plate of [cartilage], covered with mucous membrane, at the root of the tongue, which serves as a diverter valve over the...larynx during the act of swallowing. (source)

The muscular tube, about 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) long, that carries swallowed foods and liquids from the pharynx [throat] to the stomach. (source)

an immovable collection of compressed or hardened feces in the colon or rectum. (Source)

A permanent abnormal passageway between two organs in the body, or between an organ and the exterior of the body. Anal and rectal fistulas develop in the wall of the anus or rectum. They connect the interior of the body to one or several openings in the skin. Intestinal fistulas can develop in both the large and small intestine. They are commonly associated with diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease. (Source)

An x-ray procedure that produces immediate images and motion on a [video] screen. The images look like those seen at airport baggage security stations. (Source)

A small, pear-shaped organ...connected by a series of ducts (tube-like channels) to the liver, pancreas, and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). The gallbladder receives bile from the liver, and concentrates and stores it. After a meal, bile is squeezed out of the gallbladder into the intestine, where it aids in digestion of food. (source)