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Colonic Physiology

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The ASCRS Textbook of Colon and Rectal Surgery

Abstract

While the primary role of the colon is to absorb excess water and create solid stool, it also plays a critical role in electrolyte homeostasis and immunity. The chapter serves to illustrate the basic tenets in colonic embryology as well as define the histology of the colon and the specialized role its various cell types play in fluid regulation, immunity, and the enteric nervous system. The role of commensal bacteria in the colon is also discussed. The functional and clinical aspects of colonic motility are also delineated.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 800 Walnut St., 20th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, USA

    Joshua I. S. Bleier MD, FACS, FASCRS

  2. UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Edison, NJ, USA

    Kirsten Bass Wilkins MD, FACS, FASCRS

Authors
  1. Joshua I. S. Bleier MD, FACS, FASCRS
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  2. Kirsten Bass Wilkins MD, FACS, FASCRS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joshua I. S. Bleier MD, FACS, FASCRS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Scott R. Steele

  2. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Tracy L. Hull

  3. Tufts University School of Medicine, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA

    Thomas E. Read

  4. Ambrose and Gladys Bowyer, Loyola University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Theodore J. Saclarides

  5. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA

    Anthony J. Senagore

  6. Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Charles B. Whitlow

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© 2016 ASCRS (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons)

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Bleier, J.I.S., Wilkins, K.B. (2016). Colonic Physiology. In: Steele, S.R., Hull, T.L., Read, T.E., Saclarides, T.J., Senagore, A.J., Whitlow, C.B. (eds) The ASCRS Textbook of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25970-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25970-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-25968-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-25970-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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