What is the Difference Between Colon and Prostate

The key difference between colon and prostate is that the colon is a tubular organ that is a part of the large intestine, while the prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis.

Colon and prostate are vital parts of the human anatomy. They belong to different systems and perform different functions. Colon is a part of the large intestine which belongs to the human digestive system. Large intestine, along with other organs, removes human wastes. Prostate gland, on the other hand, is a part of the male reproductive system, and its role is very important for male reproduction function.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Colon 
3. What is Prostate
4. Similarities – Colon and Prostate
5. Colon vs Prostate in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Colon and Prostate

What is Colon?

Colon is a tubular organ that is a part of the large intestine. It works around the clock to remove waste products from the body. As a part of the large intestine that belongs to the digestive system, the colon works alongside other important organs like the stomach and small intestine to remove stool and maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. Normally, the large intestine is broken into six parts, including the cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. The colon begins at the end of the small intestine, where it is called the cecum, and ends at the rectum. Proximal colon is the ascending and transverse colon together, while distal colon is the descending and sigmoid colon together.

The colon is the longest part of the large intestine. It receives almost all digested food from the cecum, helps in absorbing water and nutrients, and passes waste to the rectum. Together, the colon and rectum are about 2 meters in length. The colon and the rectum are made up of layers of tissues such as mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and serosa. Furthermore, colon cancer is a type of cancer that usually affects older adults though it can happen at any age.

What is Prostate?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is located just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate from the bladder to the penis. This is letting urine flow out of the body. Moreover, prostate glands secrete fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate glands squeeze this fluid into the urethra. Then it is expelled with sperm as semen.

Furthermore, there are certain conditions affecting prostate glands. These conditions include prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate), enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH), and prostate cancer. Prostatitis can be treated by antibiotics and surgery. The enlarged prostate can be treated through medications like alpha-blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, and surgery. Prostate cancer can be treated through prostatectomy, radiation therapy, radioactive seed implant, cryotherapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy.

What are the Similarities Between Colon and Prostate?

• The colon and prostate are vital parts of the human body.
• They are located in the lower end of the human body.
• Both parts play a pivotal function in the human body.
• They are affected by different conditions.

What is the Difference Between Colon and Prostate?

The colon is a tubular organ and is a part of the large intestine while the prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is located between the bladder and the penis. Thus, this is the key difference between colon and prostate. Furthermore, the colon belongs to the digestive system while the prostate belongs to the male reproductive system.

The below infographic presents the differences between colon and prostate in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Colon vs Prostate

The colon and prostate are two vital parts of the human anatomy. They belong to different human systems and perform different functions. Among these, the colon is a tubular organ that is a part of the large intestine. Meanwhile, the prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is located between the bladder and the penis. Furthermore, the colon belongs to the digestive system, while the prostate belongs to the male reproductive system. So, this summarizes the difference between colon and prostate.

Reference:

1. Julie Wilkinson, BSN. “Can You Keep Your Colon Happy and Healthy?” Verywell Health, Verywell Health.
Hoffman, Matthew. “Prostate Gland (Human Anatomy): Prostate Picture, Definition, Function, Conditions, Tests, and Treatments.” WebMD.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Diameters of the large intestine” By Mikael Häggström. (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diagram showing the position of the prostate and rectum CRUK 358” By Cancer Research UK – Original email from CRUK (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia