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rectum
The part of the gastrointestinal tract that continues from the sigmoid colon of the large intestine to the anal canal and has a thick muscular layer. It follows the curvature of the sacrum and is firmly attached to it by connective tissue. The rectum is about 12 cm long and ends about 5 cm below the tip of the coccyx, at the beginning of the anal canal. Feces is stored in the rectum before being expelled along the anal canal.
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