Human feces: Difference between revisions
Appearance
Content deleted Content added
Reverted 1 edit by 65.94.112.244 (talk). (TW) |
This article has been deleted because it is disgusting and because it has been merged with the main article "FECES". LOL |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
This article has been deleted because it is disgusting and because it has been merged with the main article "FECES". LOL |
|||
{{Refimprove|date=January 2008}} |
|||
'''Human [[feces]]''' (or '''human faeces'''; {{lang-la|fæx}}), also known as a '''stool''',<ref>Sometimes but not always ''stools'' in UK English; plural use not even mentioned in [http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/stool Oxford online dictionaries]</ref> is the waste product of the human digestive system including bacteria. It varies significantly in appearance, according to the state of the [[digestive system]], [[diet (nutrition)|diet]] and general [[health]]. Normally stool is semisolid, with a [[mucus]] coating. Small pieces of harder, less moist feces can sometimes be seen impacted on the [[distal]] (leading) end. This is a normal occurrence when a prior [[bowel movement]] is incomplete, and feces are returned from the [[rectum]] to the [[intestine]], where water is absorbed. [[Meconium]] (sometimes erroneously spelled ''merconium'') is a newborn [[baby]]'s first feces. |
|||
==Color variations of feces== |
|||
Human fecal matter varies significantly in appearance, depending on diet and health. |
|||
;Brown:Human feces ordinarily has a light to dark brown coloration, which results from a combination of [[bile]] and [[bilirubin]] that is derived from dead [[red blood cell]]s. Normally it is semisolid, with a [[mucus]] coating. |
|||
;Yellow:Yellowing of feces can be caused by an infection known as ''[[Giardiasis]]'', which derives its name from ''[[Giardia]]'', an [[Anaerobic organism|anaerobic]] [[flagellated]] [[protozoan]] [[parasite]] that can cause severe and communicable yellow [[diarrhea]]. Another cause of yellowing is a condition known as [[Gilbert's Syndrome]]. This condition is characterized by [[jaundice]] and [[hyperbilirubinemia]] when too much [[bilirubin]] is present in the circulating blood. |
|||
;Black or red:Feces can be black due to the presence of red blood cells that have been in the intestines long enough to be broken down by digestive enzymes. This is known as [[melena]], and is typically due to [[bleeding]] in the upper digestive tract, such as from a bleeding [[peptic ulcer]]. The same color change can be observed after consuming foods that contain a substantial proportion of animal blood, such as [[black pudding]] or [[tiết canh]]. Black feces can also be caused by a number of medications, such as [[bismuth subsalicylate]] (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol), and dietary [[iron supplements]], or foods such as [[beetroot]], black [[liquorice]], or blueberries.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003130.htm | title =Bloody or tarry stools | accessdate = 2009-11-30 | date = 2009-11-01 | last = Heller | first = JL | publisher = [[National Institutes of Health]] }}</ref> [[Hematochezia]] is similarly the passage of feces that are bright red due to the presence of undigested blood, either from lower in the digestive tract, or from a more active source in the upper digestive tract. [[Alcoholism]] can also provoke abnormalities in the path of blood throughout the body, including the passing of red-black stool. |
|||
;Blue:[[Prussian blue]], used in the treatment of [[radiation poisoning|radiation]], [[cesium]], and [[thallium]] poisoning, can turn the feces blue. Substantial consumption of products containing blue food dye, such as blue [[curaçao (liqueur)|curaçao]] or grape soda, can have the same effect.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/prussianblue.asp | title = Fact Sheet: Prussian Blue | publisher = [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] | accessdate = 2009-11-30 | date = 2006-05-10 }}</ref> |
|||
;Silver:A tarnished-silver or aluminum paint-like feces color characteristically results when [[biliary obstruction]] of any type (white stool) combines with [[gastrointestinal bleeding]] from any source ([[melena|black stool]]). It can also suggest a [[carcinoma]] of the [[ampulla of Vater]], which will result in gastrointestinal bleeding and biliary obstruction, resulting in silver stool. <ref>http://cnx.org/content/m14979/latest/</ref> |
|||
;Green:Feces can be green due to having large amounts of unprocessed bile in the digestive tract. This might be the result from eating [[liquorice]] candy. As it is typically made with [[anise]] oil rather than liquorice herb and is predominantly sugar, excessive sugar consumption or a sensitivity to anise oil may cause loose, green stools.<ref>http://www.livestrong.com/article/472989-can-licorice-cause-discolored-stools/</ref> |
|||
==Odor== |
|||
Feces possesses physiological odor, which can vary according to diet (especially the amount of meat protein e.g., [[methionine]])<ref name="Hiele 1991">{{cite journal|last=Hiele|first=M|coauthors=Ghoos, Y; Rutgeerts, P; Vantrappen, G; Schoorens, D|title=Influence of nutritional substrates on the formation of volatiles by the fecal flora.|journal=Gastroenterology|date=1991 Jun|volume=100|issue=6|pages=1597-602|pmid=2019366}}</ref><ref name="Tangerman 2009">{{cite journal|last=Tangerman|first=A|title=Measurement and biological significance of the volatile sulfur compounds hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide in various biological matrices.|journal=Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences|date=2009 Oct 15|volume=877|issue=28|pages=3366-77|pmid=19505855}}</ref><ref name="Chavez 2004">{{cite journal|last=Chavez|first=C|coauthors=Coufal, CD; Carey, JB; Lacey, RE; Beier, RC; Zahn, JA|title=The impact of supplemental dietary methionine sources on volatile compound concentrations in broiler excreta.|journal=Poultry science|date=2004 Jun|volume=83|issue=6|pages=901-10|pmid=15206616}}</ref><ref name="Geypens 1997">{{cite journal|last=Geypens|first=B|coauthors=Claus, D; Evenepoel, P; Hiele, M; Maes, B; Peeters, M; Rutgeerts, P; Ghoos, Y|title=Influence of dietary protein supplements on the formation of bacterial metabolites in the colon.|journal=Gut|date=1997 Jul|volume=41|issue=1|pages=70-6|pmid=9274475}}</ref><ref name="Otto 2003">{{cite journal|last=Otto|first=ER|coauthors=Yokoyama, M; Hengemuehle, S; von Bermuth, RD; van Kempen, T; Trottier, NL|title=Ammonia, volatile fatty acids, phenolics, and odor offensiveness in manure from growing pigs fed diets reduced in protein concentration.|journal=Journal of animal science|date=2003 Jul|volume=81|issue=7|pages=1754-63|pmid=12854812}}</ref> and health status. The odor of human feces is suggested to be made up from the following odorant volatiles:<ref name="Tangerman 2009" /> |
|||
* Methyl sulfides |
|||
** [[methylmercaptan]]/methanethiol (MM) |
|||
** [[dimethyl sulfide]] (DMS) |
|||
** [[dimethyl trisulfide]] (DMTS) |
|||
** [[dimethyl disulfide]] (DMDS) |
|||
* Benzopyrrole volatiles |
|||
** [[indole]] |
|||
** [[skatole]] |
|||
* [[Hydrogen sulfide]] (H<sub>2</sub>S) |
|||
(H<sub>2</sub>S) is the most common volatile sulfur compound in feces.<ref name="Tangerman 2009" /> The odor of feces may be increased in association with various pathologies, including:<ref>{{cite web|last=Dugdale|first=David C.|title="Stools - foul smelling" on Medline Plus|url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003132.htm|publisher=U.S. National Library of Medicine|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Celiac disease]] |
|||
* [[Crohn's disease]] |
|||
* [[Ulcerative colitis]].<ref name="Levine 1998">{{cite journal|last=Levine|first=J|coauthors=Ellis, CJ; Furne, JK; Springfield, J; Levitt, MD|title=Fecal hydrogen sulfide production in ulcerative colitis.|journal=The American journal of gastroenterology|date=1998 Jan|volume=93|issue=1|pages=83-7|pmid=9448181}}</ref> |
|||
* Chronic [[pancreatitis]] |
|||
* [[Cystic fibrosis]] |
|||
* Intestinal infection, e.g. [[Clostridium difficile]] infection.<ref name="Bartlett 2008">{{cite journal|last=Bartlett|first=John G.|coauthors=Gerding, Dale N.|title=Clinical Recognition and Diagnosis of Infection|journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases|date=15 January 2008|volume=46|issue=s1|pages=S12–S18|doi=10.1086/521863}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Malabsorption]] |
|||
* [[Short bowel syndrome]] |
|||
Attempts to reduce the odor of feces (and [[flatus]]) are largely based on animal research carried out with industrial applications, such as reduced environmental impact of pig farming. See also: [[Flatulence#Management]], odor. Many dietary modifications/supplements have been researched, including: |
|||
* [[Activated charcoal]].<ref name="Suarez 1999">{{cite journal|last=Suarez|first=FL|coauthors=Furne, J; Springfield, J; Levitt, MD|title=Failure of activated charcoal to reduce the release of gases produced by the colonic flora.|journal=The American journal of gastroenterology|date=1999 Jan|volume=94|issue=1|pages=208-12|pmid=9934757}}</ref> (Note this study concluded activated charcoal at a dose of 0.52g four times a day did not appreciably influence the liberation of fecal gases). |
|||
*[[ Bismuth subsalicylate]].<ref name="Suarez 1998">{{cite journal|last=Suarez|first=FL|coauthors=Furne, JK; Springfield, J; Levitt, MD|title=Bismuth subsalicylate markedly decreases hydrogen sulfide release in the human colon.|journal=Gastroenterology|date=1998 May|volume=114|issue=5|pages=923-9|pmid=9558280}}</ref> |
|||
* Chloryphyllyn |
|||
* Herbs such as rosemary |
|||
* [[Yucca schidigera]].<ref name="Giffard 2001">{{cite journal|last=Giffard|first=CJ|coauthors=Collins, SB; Stoodley, NC; Butterwick, RF; Batt, RM|title=Administration of charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate to reduce malodorous flatulence in dogs.|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=2001 Mar 15|volume=218|issue=6|pages=892-6|pmid=11294313}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Zinc acetate]].<ref name="Giffard 2001" /> |
|||
== Personal hygiene == |
|||
{{main|Anal cleansing}} |
|||
Cultures employ a variety of personal cleansing practising after elimination. |
|||
* In [[Western culture|Western]] and [[East Asia]]n societies, the use of [[toilet paper]] is widespread. Other paper products were also used before the advent of flush toilets. |
|||
* Some [[Europe]]an countries use a [[bidet]] for additional cleaning. |
|||
* In [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]], showers are provided for use in toilets. |
|||
* In [[Islam]], washing of the anus with water using the left hand is part of the prescribed ritual ablutions. |
|||
* In [[India]], the anus is also washed with water using the left hand. |
|||
* In the [[United Kingdom]], the [[Squat toilet|Indian toilet]] was adapted as the "WC" (water closet) and widely deployed in [[England]] during the reign of [[Queen Victoria]]. London suffered numerous outbreaks of [[food poisoning]] resulting from workers handling food after using the toilet. Cleansing of the anus was an arbitrary practice left to personal choice and facilities available. |
|||
* In [[Ancient Rome]], a communal sponge was employed. It was rinsed in a bucket of salt water after use. |
|||
* In [[Japan]], flat sticks were used in ancient times, being replaced by toilet paper as the country became more [[Westernized]]. Toilets that include built-in bidets have now become widely popular in private homes; these can be very sophisticated appliances, allowing users to adjust the temperature, direction and force of water jets, and offering warm air to dry the anus and surrounding regions. The toilet flushes automatically when the buttocks leave the seat. |
|||
==Bristol stool scale== |
|||
{{Main|Bristol stool scale}} |
|||
[[Image:Bristol stool chart.svg|right|250px]] |
|||
The Bristol stool scale is a [[medical]] aid designed to classify the form of human feces into seven categories. Sometimes referred to in the UK as the "Meyers Scale," it was developed by K.W.Heaton at the [[University of Bristol]] and was first published in the ''Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology'' in 1997.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lewis SJ, Heaton KW |title=Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time |journal=Scand. J. Gastroenterol. |volume=32 |issue=9 |pages=920–4 |year=1997 |pmid=9299672 |doi=10.3109/00365529709011203}}</ref> The form of the stool depends on the time it spends in the [[colon (anatomy)|colon]].<ref name = CM>{{cite web|url=http://www.constipationadvice.co.uk/further-resources/pam-campbell-constipation-management.pdf|title=Constipation Management and Nurse Prescribing: The importance of developing a concordant approach|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-11-06 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060705163244/http://www.constipationadvice.co.uk/further-resources/pam-campbell-constipation-management.pdf |archivedate = 2006-07-05}}</ref> |
|||
The seven types of stool are: |
|||
# Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass) |
|||
# Sausage-shaped but lumpy |
|||
# Like a sausage but with cracks on the surface |
|||
# Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft |
|||
# Soft blobs with clear-cut edges |
|||
# Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool |
|||
# Watery, no solid pieces. Entirely Liquid |
|||
Types 1 and 2 indicate [[constipation]]. Types 3 and 4 are optimal, especially the latter, as these are the easiest to [[Defecation|pass]]. Types 5–7 are associated with increasing tendency to [[diarrhea]] or urgency<!-- PER WP:ENGVAR, PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE SPELLING OF THIS OR OTHER WORDS -->.<ref name = CM/> |
|||
==Fecal markers== |
|||
The feces can be analyzed for various markers that are indicative of various diseases and conditions. For example, [[faecal calprotectin|fecal calprotectin]] levels indicate an inflammatory process such as [[Crohn's disease]], [[ulcerative colitis]] and [[neoplasms]] ([[cancer]]). |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
!colspan=6| Reference ranges for fecal markers |
|||
|- |
|||
|'''Marker''' |
|||
|'''Patient type''' |
|||
|'''Upper limit''' |
|||
|'''Unit''' |
|||
|- |
|||
|rowspan=3| [[Faecal calprotectin|Calprotectin]] || 2–9 years || 166<ref name=Joshi>{{cite pmid|19740914}}</ref> ||rowspan=5| [[microgram|µg]]/g of feces |
|||
|- |
|||
| 10–59 years || 51<ref name=Joshi/> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ≥ 60 years || 112<ref name=Joshi/> |
|||
|- |
|||
|rowspan=2| [[Lactoferrin]] || 2–9 years || 29<ref name=Joshi/> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ≥ 10 years || 4.6<ref name=Joshi/> |
|||
|} |
|||
Also, feces may be analyzed for any [[fecal occult blood]], which is indicative of a [[gastrointestinal bleeding]]. |
|||
==Abnormalities== |
|||
===Stool analysis (stool sample)=== |
|||
The main pathogens that are commonly looked for in feces include: |
|||
* ''[[Bacteroides]] species'' |
|||
* ''[[Salmonella]]'' and ''[[Shigella]]'' |
|||
* ''[[Yersinia]]'' tends to be incubated at {{convert|30|°C}}, which is cooler than usual |
|||
* ''[[Campylobacter]]'' incubated at {{convert|42|°C}}, in a special environment |
|||
* ''[[Aeromonas]]'' |
|||
* ''[[Candida (genus)|Candida]]'' if the person is immunosuppressed (e.g., undergoing cancer treatment) |
|||
* [[Escherichia coli O157:H7|''E. coli'' O157]] if blood is visible in the stool sample |
|||
* ''[[Cryptosporidium]]'' |
|||
* ''[[Entamoeba histolytica]]'' |
|||
[[Intestinal parasite]]s and their [[Ovum|ova]] (eggs) can sometimes be visible to the [[naked eye]]. |
|||
===Undigested food remnants=== |
|||
Undigested objects such as seeds can pass through the human gut, and later [[germinate]]. One result of this is [[tomato]] plants growing where [[sewage sludge]] has been used as [[fertilizer]]. |
|||
===Diarrhea=== |
|||
{{Main|Diarrhea}} |
|||
Diarrhea is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid [[bowel movement]]s per day.<ref name=WHO2010>{{cite web |url=http://www.who.int/topics/diarrhoea/en/ |title=Diarrhoea |work=World Health Organization }}</ref> This condition can be a symptom of injury, [[disease]] or [[foodborne illness]] and is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, and often [[nausea]] and vomiting. There are other conditions which involve some but not all of the symptoms of diarrhea, and so the formal medical definition of diarrhea involves defecation of more than 200 grams per day (though formal weighing of stools to determine a diagnosis is never actually carried out). |
|||
It occurs when insufficient fluid is absorbed by the colon. As part of the [[digestion]] process, or due to fluid intake, [[food]] is mixed with large amounts of water. Thus, digested food is essentially liquid prior to reaching the colon. The colon absorbs water, leaving the remaining material as a semisolid stool. If the colon is damaged or inflamed, however, absorption is inhibited, and watery stools result. |
|||
Diarrhea is most commonly caused by myriad [[virus (biology)|viral]] infections but is also often the result of [[bacteria]]l toxins and sometimes even infection. In sanitary living conditions and with ample food and water available, an otherwise healthy patient typically recovers from the common viral infections in a few days and at most a week. However, for ill or malnourished individuals diarrhea can lead to severe [[dehydration]] and can become life-threatening without treatment. |
|||
==Fertilizer== |
|||
{{Main|Humanure|Composting toilet}} |
|||
{{Expand section|date=September 2012}} |
|||
== Fecal contamination == |
|||
A quick test for fecal contamination of water sources or soil is a check for the presence of ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]'' [[bacteria]] performed with the help of [[MacConkey agar]] plates or [[Petri dish]]es. ''E. coli'' bacteria uniquely develop red colonies at temperature of approximately {{convert|43|°C}} overnight. Although most strains of ''E. coli'' are harmless, their presence is indicative of fecal contamination, and hence an increased possibility of the presence of more dangerous organisms. |
|||
Fecal contamination of water sources is highly prevalent worldwide, accounting for the majority of unsafe [[drinking water]]. In [[developing countries]] most sewage is discharged without treatment. Even in [[developed countries]] events of [[sanitary sewer overflow]] are not uncommon and regularly pollute the [[Seine River]] ([[France]]) and the [[River Thames]] ([[England]]), for example. |
|||
==See also== |
|||
{{Commons category|Human feces}} |
|||
* [[Feces]] |
|||
* [[Defecation]] |
|||
* [[Scatology]] |
|||
* [[Shit]] |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{reflist|30em}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Feces}} |
|||
[[Category:Gastroenterology]] |
|||
[[Category:Human physiology]] |
|||
[[Category:Feces| ]] |
|||
[[as:মানৱ বিষ্ঠা]] |
|||
[[cs:Lidský výkal]] |
|||
[[fr:Matière fécale humaine]] |
|||
[[no:Menneskelig avføring]] |
|||
[[pt:Fezes humanas]] |
Revision as of 05:00, 25 November 2012
This article has been deleted because it is disgusting and because it has been merged with the main article "FECES". LOL