Taenia mesocolica

Looks like

One of three flat ribbons of lengthwise muscle on the colon, lying where the mesocolon attaches.

What it does

Shortens the colon and helps form the bowel pouches that move stool along.

Keeping it well

Small pouches (diverticula) push out between the taeniae; left lower belly pain with fever needs a doctor.

Related conditions

• Acute mesenteric ischaemia (gut stroke)
• Appendicitis
• Botulism
• Bowel obstruction
• Chagas disease
• Chronic constipation
• Clostridioides difficile colitis
• Colon polyps
• Colorectal cancer
• Crohn's disease
• Diverticular disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Food poisoning
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Gastroenteritis
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Hereditary cancer syndromes (BRCA, Lynch)
• Infant colic
• Intussusception & pyloric stenosis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Liver abscess (pyogenic and amoebic)
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Microscopic colitis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Necrotising enterocolitis
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Tetanus
• Typhoid & cholera
• Ulcerative colitis