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			Poop tastes good when I rub it in my mouth.
	]'''Feces''', '''faeces''', or '''fæces''' (see ]) is a waste product from an animal's ] expelled through the ] (or ]) during '']''. The word ''faeces'' is the plural of the ] word ''fæx'' meaning "dregs". There is no singular form in the English language, making it a ]. <ref>http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3400</ref>

	==Ecology==
	] disperse seeds via their feces.]]
	After an animal has digested material, the remains of it is ] from its body as waste. Though it is lower in energy than the food it came from, feces may still contain a large amount of energy, often 50% of that of the original food.<ref name=Campbell>''Biology'' (4th edition) N.A.Campbell (Benjamin Cummings NY, 1996) ISBN 0-8053-1957-3</ref> This means that of all food eaten, a significant amount of energy remains for the decomposers of ecosystems. Many organisms feed on feces, from bacteria to fungi to insects such as ]s, which can ] odors from long distances.<ref>Heinrich, B., and G. A. Bartholomew (1979) The ecology of the African dung beetle. '']'' 241: 146-156</ref> Some may specialize in feces, while others may eat other foods as well. Feces serve not only as a basic food, but also a supplement to the usual diet of some animals. This is known as ], and occurs in various animal species such as young elephants eating their mother's feces to gain essential ], or by other animals such as monkeys.

	Feces are also an important as a ]. ]s for instance are able to detect the feces of their prey (which reflect ]), allowing them to identify areas where there are large numbers of voles, for example. This adaptation is essential in ], as voles are expert at hiding from such predators.<ref>Viitala, J., E. Korpimäki, Polakangas, P., Koivula, M. (1995) Attraction of kestrels to vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light. '']'' 373:423-425</ref> Some caterpillars even shoot their feces away from themselves in an explosive burst, helping them to avoid predators taking advantage of the ] signal it creates. In a non-predatory example, dominant ] bulls defend ] marked with feces and ]s produced by scent glands.

	]s may also be found in feces. Animals which eat ] are known as ]s. The advantage in having fruit for a plant is that animals will eat the fruit and unknowingly disperse the seed in doing so. This mode of ] is highly successful, as seeds dispersed around the base of a plant are unlikely to succeed and are often subject to heavy ]. Provided the seed can withstand the pathway through the digestive system, it is not only likely to be far away from the parent plant, but is even provided with its own fertilizer.

	Organisms which subsist on dead organic matter or '']'' are known as ]s, and play an important role in ecosystems by recycling organic matter back into a simpler form which plants and other ]s may once again absorb. This cycling of matter is known as the ]. To maintain nutrients in soil it is therefore important that feces return to the area from which they came, which is not always the case in human society where food may be transported from rural areas to urban populations and then feces disposed of into a river or sea.

	== Human feces ==
	{{main\|Human feces}}
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	In humans, defecation may occur (depending on the individual and the circumstances) from once every two or three days to several times a day. Hardening of the feces may cause prolonged interruption in the routine and is called ].

	] fecal matter varies significantly in appearance, depending on diet and health. Normally it is semisolid, with a ] coating. Its brown coloration comes from a combination of ] and ], which comes from dead ].

	In newborn babies, fecal matter is initially yellow/green after the ]. This coloration comes from the presence of ] alone. In time, as the body starts expelling bilirubin from dead red blood cells, it acquires its familiar brown appearance, unless the baby is breast feeding, in which case it remains soft, pale yellowish, and not-unpleasantly scented until the baby begins to eat significant amounts of other food.

	Throughout the life of an ordinary human, one may experience many types of feces. A "green" stool is from rapid transit of feces through the intestines (or the consumption of certain blue or green food dyes in quantity), and "clay-like" appearance to the feces is the result of a lack of bilirubin.

	] overload is very rare, and not a health threat. Problems as simple as serious ] can cause blood in one's stool, turning it black. Black stools caused by blood usually indicate a problem in the intestines (the black blood is digested), whereas red streaks of blood in stool are usually caused by bleeding in the rectum or anus.

	Food may sometimes make an appearance in the feces. Common undigested foods found in human feces are seeds, nuts, corn and beans, mainly because of their high ] content.

	=== Bristol Stool Scale ===
	Consistency and shape of stools may be classified medically according to the ].

	], a disorder where non-food items are eaten, can cause unusual stool. ]s and their ] (eggs) can sometimes be visible to the naked ].

	== Odor ==
	] hydrogen sulfide contributes to the smell of feces.]]
	The distinctive ] of feces is due to ] action. ] produce compounds such as ], ], and ]s (] containing compounds), as well as the inorganic gas ]. These are the same compounds that are responsible for the odor of ]. Consumption of foods with spices may result in the spices being undigested and adding to the odor of feces. Certain commercial products exist that claim to reduce the odor of feces{{Fact\|date=June 2007}}. The perceived bad odor of feces has been hypothesized to be a deterrent for humans, as consumption or touching it may result in sickness or infection. {{Fact\|date=June 2007}} Of course, human perception of the odor is a ] matter; for an animal that eats feces, it might well smell wonderful.

	== Personal hygiene ==
	For ], several companies market toilet tissue or wipes for babies and campers. {{Fact\|date=June 2007}}

	== Pets ==
	Several companies market ] cleaning products aimed at pet owners. However pet feces can be cleaned with just ] or liquid ]. <ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Cleaning.php \|title=Cleaning Tips \|publisher=The Partnership for Animal Welfare}}</ref>

	== Uses ==
	The feces of animals is often used as ]; see ].
	Some animal feces, especially those of the ], ] and ], is used as fuel when dried out.<ref></ref>
	Animal Dung, besides being used as fuel, is occasionally used as a cement to make ] ] huts <ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs34d.htm \|title=Your Home Technical Manual - 3.4d Construction Systems - Mud Brick (Adobe) \|accessdate=2007-07-09}}</ref> or even in throwing sports such as Cow Pat throwing or Camel Dung throwing contests.<ref></ref>

	== See also ==
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*'']''
	*]

	==Bibliography==
	*''Fecal Matters in Early Modern Literature and Art: Studies in Scatology''. J Persels, R Ganim - 2004

	==References==
	{{reflist}}

	==Further reading==
	* ''History of Shit'' by Dominique Laporte. ISBN 0-262-62160-6

	==External links==
	{{commons\|Feces}}
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	* ISBN 1-932-59521-X

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Revision as of 19:24, 6 August 2007

Poop tastes good when I rub it in my mouth.