Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Anal Canal

Excerpt

The anal canal is the terminal part of the gastrointestinal tract that conveys material from the rectum to the anus. While it is typically around 2.5 to 4 cm in length, it is more complex than it seems. The anal canal plays a vital role as a defense against organisms that might enter the body, it differentiates between solid, liquid, and gas, and it contributes to fecal continence. Often not evaluated in the absence of symptoms, pathologies of the anal canal may be treated with wide-ranging measures as conservative as a sitz bath to as significant as surgical resection or radiation.