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The tissue of the large intestine. It is composed of four layers - mucosa, submucosa, smooth muscle with inner circular and outer longitudinal layers, and serosa. The mucosa has a large number of goblet cells but does not have any villi. The longitudinal muscle layer is incomplete. The longitudinal muscle is limited to three distinct bands, called teniae coli that run the entire length of the colon. Contraction of the teniae coli exerts pressure on the wall and creates a series of pouches, called haustra, along the colon. Epiploic appendages, pieces of fat-filled connective tissue, are attached to the outer surface of the colon.
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