
The colon, also called the large intestine or bowel, is the lower five to seven feet of the digestive tract. The colon turns intestinal waste into solid stool and assists in eliminating this material from the body.
After you swallow food, it travels from the mouth through the esophagus to the stomach. Once broken down, the food moves from the stomach to the small intestine. The small intestine takes the nutrients from food, and the remaining indigestible portion moves into the colon. The colon stores the waste until the next bowel movement removes it from the body.