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rectum (rek´tәm) the last part of the large intestine; it begins at the level of the third sacral vertebra as a continuation of the sigmoid colon and ends at the anal canal. The feces, the solid waste products of digestion, are formed in the large intestine and are gradually pushed down into the rectum by the muscular action of the intestine. Distention of the rectum by the accumulating feces sets up nerve impulses that indicate to the brain the need to defecate and empty the rectum.
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