The bowel
The bowel is part of the digestive system. It is made up of the small bowel (small intestine) and the large bowel (colon and rectum). The small bowel is longer than the large bowel but it gets its name from the fact it is much narrower than the large bowel.
Cancer is more likely to develop in the large bowel. Small bowel cancer is much less common.
Cancer in the large bowel is called bowel cancer or colorectal cancer.
The large bowel
This 3D model lets you look more closely at the parts of the body that make up the large bowel. Click and hold to rotate the image.
Thanks to Sketchfab.com for the use of this image.
More information
Read our booklet, Simple steps for good bowel health, for information on keeping your bowel healthy.
Reviewed May 2019