Cecum

Cecum
The cecum, here in red, lies at the start of the large intestines, which are shown with the rest of the human gastrointestinal tract in this image.
Superior ileocecal fossa (cecum labeled at bottom left)
Details
Precursor	Midgut
Part of	Large intestine
System	Gastrointestinal
Location	Lower right part of the abdomen.
Identifiers
Latin	caecum
MeSH	D002432
TA98	A05.7.02.001
TA2	2970
FMA	14541
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The cecum (UK: caecum, pronounced /ˈsiːkəm/; plural ceca or UK: caeca, pronounced /ˈsiːkə/) is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine.^[1] It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The term stems from the Latin caecus, meaning "blind".

It receives chyme from the ileum, and connects to the ascending colon of the large intestine. It is separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve (ICV), also called Bauhin's valve. It is also separated from the colon by the cecocolic junction. While the cecum is usually intraperitoneal, the ascending colon is retroperitoneal.^[2]

In herbivores, the cecum stores food material where bacteria are able to break down the cellulose. In humans, the cecum is involved in absorption of salts and electrolytes and lubricates the solid waste that passes into the large intestine.^[3]