<P> The colon is the last part of the digestive system . It extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body and is the site in which flora - aided (largely bacterial) fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs . Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a major role in absorption of foods and nutrients . About 1.5 litres or 45 ounces of water arrives in the colon each day . </P> <P> The length of the adult human male colon is 166 cm (range of 80 to 313 cm), on average, for females it is 155 cm (range of 80 to 214 cm). </P> <P> In mammals, the colon consists of five sections: the cecum plus the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum . </P> <P> Sections of the colon are: </P>

How did the large intestine get its name