Wall composition of the large intestine

The wall of the large intestine, similarly as in the case of the small intestine, contains four layers of tissue found in the rest of the gastrointestinal tract: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa.

The structure of the large intestine is designed to facilitate its function. It produces thick mucus that helps to push the digested food residues further down the intestinal tract. It also absorbs water that hasn't been absorbed yet and forms waste matter that can be removed in the final part of the tract. Therefore the wall of the large intestine lacks circular folds and villi. It also does not have as many structural adaptations that increase surface area. Its absorption is decreased and focused more on smoothly pushing the waste matter and facilitating microbiota with breaking down proteins and producing vitamins.

Figure 1: The large intestine does not have any additional structures facilitating absorption of nutrients as in the case of the small intestine. Instead, it is rich in intestinal glands that produce mucus, facilitating food matter movement and absorption or residual nutrients and water.