Human feces
[2][3] It also contains bacteria and a relatively small amount of metabolic waste products such as bacterially altered bilirubin, and the dead epithelial cells from the lining of the gut.
This is a normal occurrence when a prior bowel movement is incomplete, and feces are returned from the rectum to the large intestine, where water is further absorbed.
[24] The remaining solids are composed of insoluble calcium and iron phosphate salts, intestinal secretions, small amounts of dried epithelial cells, and mucus.
Common undigested foods found in human feces are seeds, nuts, and corn, mainly because of their high fiber content.
The main pathogens that are commonly looked for in feces include: Intestinal parasites and their ova (eggs) can sometimes be visible to the naked eye.
For example, fecal calprotectin levels indicate an inflammatory process such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and neoplasms (cancer).
A quick test for fecal contamination of water sources or soil is a check for the presence of E. coli bacteria performed with the help of MacConkey agar plates or Petri dishes.
In sanitary living conditions and with ample food and water available, an otherwise healthy patient typically recovers from the common viral infections in a few days and at most a week.
Severe constipation includes obstipation (failure to pass stools or gas) and fecal impaction, which can progress to bowel obstruction and become life-threatening.
The use of untreated human feces in agriculture poses significant health risks and has contributed to widespread infection with parasitic worms—a disease called helminthiasis, affecting over 1.5 billion people in developing countries.
There are methods available to safely reuse human feces in agriculture as per the "multiple barrier concept" described by the World Health Organization in 2006.
[29][30] Recent research indicates that this may be a valuable method to re-establish normal gut cultures that have been destroyed through the use of antibiotics or some other medical treatments.
[32] Teams from the Cambridge Development Initiative, led by Stanford researcher Maisam Pyarali, began a project in 2015 to convert sewage from the slums of Dar Es Salaam into biogas and fertilizer with solar concentrators.
Intact feces of ancient people may be found in caves in arid climates and in other locations with suitable preservation conditions.
These are studied to determine the diet and health of the people who produced them through the analysis of seeds, small bones, and parasite eggs found inside.
An example of repulsion by feces from the ancient world is found in the writings called Deuteronomy used by Jews and Christians:Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself.
[35]Evolution can explain this disgust since feces are a significant disease vector, carrying many kinds of microorganisms that can sicken humans, including E. coli.
In many Muslim, Hindu and Sikh cultures, as well as Southeast Asia and Southern Europe, water is usually used for anal cleansing using a jet, as with a bidet, or most commonly, splashed and washed with the hand.
Many are euphemistic, colloquial, or both; some are profane (such as shit), whereas most belong chiefly to child-directed speech (such as poo or poop) or to crude humor (such as turd).
