Which of the following structures is most distal?

Which of the following structures is most distal?

• A. Ascending colon
• B. Cecum
• C. Descending colon
• D. Sigmoid

Answer: (D)

Distal means farther along toward the end of a structure, closer to the exit. In the digestive tract, the order from near the small intestine to the end is cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum. The sigmoid colon is the last segment before the rectum, so it is the most distal among the options. The cecum is at the start, the ascending colon is higher up, and the descending colon lies before the sigmoid. Think of traveling along the path toward the anus—the sigmoid sits nearest the end.

Distal means farther along toward the end of a structure, closer to the exit. In the digestive tract, the order from near the small intestine to the end is cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum. The sigmoid colon is the last segment before the rectum, so it is the most distal among the options. The cecum is at the start, the ascending colon is higher up, and the descending colon lies before the sigmoid. Think of traveling along the path toward the anus—the sigmoid sits nearest the end.