Feces
Feces (American English) or faeces/fæces (Commonwealth English) are semi-solid waste products from an animal digestive tract expelled through the anus (or cloaca) during defecation. In humans, defecation may occur (depending on the individual and the circumstances) from once every two or three days to many times a day. Prolonged interruption in the usual routine is called constipation.
The word faeces is the plural of the Latin word faex meaning "dregs". There is no singular form in English language. [1]
The distinctive odor of feces is due to bacterial action. Bacteria produce compounds such as indole, skatole, and mercaptans, which are rich in sulfur, as well as the inorganic gas hydrogen sulfide. These are the same compounds that are responsible for the odor of flatus.
Feces can help scientists learn about animals because of the food an animal eats.
Feces are generally a taboo subject (see toilet humour). Scientists have long noted that many species hide or bury their feces, because the odor can attract predators, and these species often exhibit anxious behavior when their feces cannot be concealed. In humans, this phenomenon manifests itself in a stigma on feces.
The faeces of animals is often used as fertilizer: see manure.
yeah ok so yesterday i was sitting on the toilet right awwwww man i took the biggest dump of my fricken life man it was the biggest thing u could ever imagine
Fecal contamination
A quick test for fecal contamination of water sources or soil is a check for the presence of E. coli bacteria performed with the help of McConkey agar plates or Petri dishes. It turns out that E. coli bacteria (and almost no other ones) develop red colonies at temperature about 110 F overnight.
While nearly all strains of E.coli are harmless, their presence is indicative of fecal contamination, and hence a high possibility of other, more dangerous bacteria, e.g., those of hepatitis.
Human feces
Main article: Human feces.
Human feces vary significantly in appearance, depending on diet and health. Normally they are semisolid, with mucus coating. Bile gives it the brown appearance.
See also
External links and references
- Urobilinogen
- Liver biochemistry
- Images of whale feces
- History of Shit by Dominique Laporte (ISBN 0262621606)