How many distinct regions are in the large intestine? Digestion Read more from Chapter Human Body

Burping, technically called eructation (from the Latin ructare, meaning “belch”), is a normal occurrence that results from an abundance of air in the stomach. Nearly a half a quart of air is typically swallowed during a meal. Much of this air is relieved as a burp or belch.

The large intestine is mostly a storage site for undigested materials until they are eliminated from the body via defecation. It consists of three distinct regions: 1) the cecum, 2) the colon, and 3) the rectum. The cecum is the first section of the large intestine below the ileocecal valve. The appendix is attached to the cecum. Since the colon (ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon) is the largest region of the large intestine, the term “colon” is often applied to the entire large intestine. The rectum (rectum, anal canal, and anus) is the final region of the large intestine and the end of the digestive tract. Although most absorption has occurred in the small intestine, water, and electrolytes are still absorbed through the large intestine.