The hindgut (or epigaster) is the posterior (

caudal Caudal may refer to: Anatomy * Caudal (anatomical term) (from Latin ''cauda''; tail), used to describe how close something is to the trailing end of an organism * Caudal artery, the portion of the dorsal aorta of a vertebrate that passes into the ...

) part of the

alimentary canal The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

. In mammals, it includes the

distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

one third of the transverse colon and the splenic flexure, the

descending colon In the anatomy of humans and homologous primates, the descending colon is the part of the colon extending from the left colic flexure to the level of the iliac crest (whereupon it transitions into the sigmoid colon). The function of the descendin ...

sigmoid colon The sigmoid colon (or pelvic colon) is the part of the large intestine that is closest to the rectum and anus. It forms a loop that averages about in length. The loop is typically shaped like a Greek letter sigma (ς) or Latin letter S (thus ''s ...

and up to the ano-rectal junction. In zoology, the term ''hindgut'' refers also to the cecum and

ascending colon ''Ascending'' is a science fiction novel by the Canadian writer James Alan Gardner, published in 2001 by HarperCollins Publishers under its various imprints.HarperCollins, Avon, HarperCollins Canada, SFBC/Avon; paperback edition 2001, Eos Books. ...

Structure

Blood supply

Arterial supply is by the

inferior mesenteric artery In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, is the third main branch of the abdominal aorta and arises at the level of L3, supplying the large intestine from the distal transverse colon to the upper part of the ana ...

, and venous drainage is to the

portal venous system In the circulatory system of animals, a portal venous system occurs when a capillary bed pools into another capillary bed through veins, without first going through the heart. Both capillary beds and the blood vessels that connect them are co ...

. Lymphatic drainage is to the chyle cistern.

Nerve supply

The hindgut is innervated via the inferior mesenteric plexus. Sympathetic innervation is from the Lumbar splanchnic nerves (L1-L2), parasympathetic innervation is from S2-S4.

Development

Additional images

File:Gray985.png, Abdominal part of digestive tube and its attachment to the primitive or common mesentery. Human embryo of six weeks. File:Gray1115.png, Tail end of human embryo twenty-five to twenty-nine days old. File:Illacme plenipes female with 170 segments and 662 legs (SPC000931) - ZooKeys-241-077-g006.jpeg, Metenteron in the milliped '' Illacme plenipes''.

External links