What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine?

Question

What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine?I was reading some medical stuff, by patients, and some refer to both in the same sentence. I thought they were the same thing.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine? I was reading some medical stuff, by patients, and some refer to both in the same sentence. I thought they were the same thing.[/nq]
The bowel is made up of both the small and the large intestine.

HTH,
With best wishes,
Peter.

Peter, \ / \ Prestbury, Cheltenham, Glos. GL52 Anne \ / \ England. and / / \ > > >\ > / \ http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk family / \ / \ / > \> \ / \ (Email Removed).

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]What is the difference between the bowel and the large ... the same sentence. I thought they were the same thing.[/nq]
[nq:1]The bowel is made up of both the small and the large intestine. HTH,[/nq]
Yes. Now I have to go back and read those things again. I think at least one didn't make sense and that helped to confuse me.

Thanks.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The bowel is made up of both the small and the large intestine. HTH,[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes. Now I have to go back and read those things again. I think at least one didn't make sense and that helped to confuse me.[/nq]
In colloquial terminology, your guts are your bowels (note the plural).

When I am reading technical stuff that needs to differentiate, the small and large intestines are referred to as the small bowel and the large bowel. The large bowel is that part we also call the colon. It begins right about where your appendix is (or used to be), rises (ascending bowel or colon) about 10 inches, turns and crosses the abdomen horizontally(transverse colon), then twists a bit and descends (descending colon) to the ******.
I would like Dr Peter Young to explain the sigmoid part. Is just that the S-twist where the colon turns downward, or is it the entire transverse and descending section.
(Anyway, it acts like a kink in a garden hose, and seems to slow down the movements!)

Usenet · Answer

(snip)
[nq:1]I would like Dr Peter Young to explain the sigmoid part. Is just that the S-twist where the colon turns ... and descending section. (Anyway, it acts like a kink in a garden hose, and seems to slow down the movements!)[/nq]
Yes, it's just the twisty bit (sigma is the Greek letter "S"), the continuation of the descending colon, and not really different in function from it. If it slows things down for you, then you need more vegetable or fruit, I think!
BTW, there are medical Durkins in this part of the UK, one of them a colleague of mine before I retired. Any relation?
With best wishes,
Peter.

Peter Young, Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004.
(American equivalent Attending Anesthesiologist)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK.
Now happily retired.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1](snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]I would like Dr Peter Young to explain the sigmoid ... a garden hose, and seems to slow down the movements!)[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, it's just the twisty bit (sigma is the Greek letter "S"), the continuation of the descending colon, and not really different in function from it. If it slows things down for you, then you need more vegetable or fruit, I think![/nq]
I wonder if maybe that is what they meant by bowel, that part.

Two of them wrote, about themselves, diifferent people I think, that they were injured inthe large intestine and bowel. That's what confused me.
But maybe they mean by bowel the end of the large intestine. Possible?
I can't ask them what they mean because it's from a yahoo list and they were written over two years ago, and yahoo will let you post but unless you are subscribed at the time reading by email, you can't learn the email addresses of posters themselves, and to ask in the list, for more than one reason, I doubt if those two people are reading now.
But at least I'll be better able to read other posts that use the same words No one is posting lately but there are 500 posts over the last
3 years I picked sort of a random starting date. At first theywere interesting and informative, but now after about 30 they're starting to get depressing, because some of the people are really sick. (I'm sick but not really sick. Im not dying and I should be fine by March.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine? I was reading some medical stuff, by patients, and some refer to both in the same sentence. =A0I thought they were the same thing.[/nq]
Underlying this matter is the "Parallel Vocabulary of Medicine" (my own description)
Only trained medical personnel are supposed to use the precise medical term because only they know
the exact boundaries of meaning conveyed by it.
(eg I have heard "The LAD is 90pc occluded")
Patients are supposed to use more general terms
deemed to be within their comprehension.
In your example above both names used are in
the informal category
One stage more formal might be to use "colon"
for the large intestine and "duodenum" for the
first part of the small intestine.
(After that my knowlege runs out on the
subject)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine? I was reading some medical stuff, by patients, and some refer to both in the same sentence. I thought they were the same thing.[/nq]
The large intestine is the large bowel.
"The Bowels" includes the small intestine - the dudenum, jejunum and ileum. The large bowel / intestine includes the colon and ******.

See any of 20,000 web sites for more details.

Andrew
http://www.wordskit.com/
http://www.flayme.com/
"If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z.
Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." ~ Albert Einstein

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1](snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]I would like Dr Peter Young to explain the sigmoid ... a garden hose, and seems to slow down the movements!)[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, it's just the twisty bit (sigma is the Greek letter "S"), the continuation of the descending colon, and not really different in function from it. If it slows things down for you, then you need more vegetable or fruit, I think![/nq]
I, fortunately, have little problem in that area. But I had a barium ***** once, and you might not believe the aerobatics they put me through on the "flying table", trying to get the stuff up through the sigmoid. And then they did a colonoscopy and stuck a hose up through. No pain, and I didn't need the general anesthesia, though maybe I had a "local". That was back in the early '80s.
[nq:1]BTW, there are medical Durkins in this part of the UK, one of them a colleague of mine before I retired. Any relation?[/nq]
I don't know of any Durkins in my line who have been medical people. In fact, except for me, and a brother and an unmarried sister, I don't know any people with the surname "Durkin". Oh, yes a male cousin. But his only progeny is female. So our particular line has petered out.

There is another line from a different part of the state, and a lot of people know of his family. He was Fire Chief in Madison for years, and had about 10 kids (with the aid of his wife, of course), some of whom were males, so the Durkin name goes on.
Years ago, when Ike was President, he had a Cabinet consisting of "nine millionaires and a plumber". That plumber was a Durkin, and no kin of mine. Nor, I think, of "Joe the Plumber".

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2](snip) Yes, it's just the twisty bit (sigma is the ... you, then you need more vegetable or fruit, I think![/nq]
[nq:1]I wonder if maybe that is what they meant by bowel, that part. Two of them wrote, about themselves, diifferent ... and to ask in the list, for more than one reason, I doubt if those two people are reading now.[/nq]
Have you looked at Usenet newsgroups? I can't see any that deal with bowel problems specifically, but, being a Type 2 diabetic, I frequent some diabetes newsgroups, and may people with advanced diabetes have bowel problems, so on the newsgroups many dietary remedies are discussed.
[nq:1]But at least I'll be better able to read other posts that use the same words No one is posting ... are really sick. (I'm sick but not really sick. Im not dying and I should be fine by March.)[/nq]
Good luck, then. (You aren't pregnant and due to deliver then?) .

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I, fortunately, have little problem in that area. But I had a barium ***** once, and you might not believe ... through the sigmoid. And then they did a colonoscopy and stuck a hose up through. No pain,[/nq]
I need one of those too. No pain at the time, ok, but was there any pain the next day. PLEASE ANSWER as soon as possible, anyone, because there's a chance I could schedule it for tomorrow, and I'm invited to dinner the day after that, Thanksgiving. Am I going to be able to enjoy it?
[nq:1]and I didn't need the general anesthesia, though maybe I had a "local". That was back in the early '80s.[/nq]
Now they tell me they use a drip, which is general, but starts to wear off the moment they cut it off, and one wakes up quite quickly, although they won't let you drive home yourself and say not to drive for the rest of the day. One place won't even let a taxi take you home because once they had a problem, and I guess the taxi driver wasn't as diligent as a relation or friend would have been. She didn't know the details.

What is the difference between the bowel and the large intestine?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions