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The term [tenia coli] is Latin and refers to three longitudinal whitish bands of tissue seen on the surface of the colon. An alternate spelling for this term is [taenia coli].
The word [tenia] is Latin are means "ribbon" or "tape". It is a term used to describe tapeworms. [Coli] is also Latin and means "pertaining to the colon". See accompanying image. Click the image for a larger depiction.
The tenia coli are formed by the gathering or grouping of the longitudinal (external) muscle layer found in the components of the digestive system. While in most of the organs the longitudinal layer is spread out around the organ, in the colon the grouping of the fibers form these three longitudinal bands. The contant tonic contraction of these bands of muscle cause the colonic wall to bunch forming sacculations known as "haustra".
The tenia coli of the cecum converge at the base of the vermiform appendix. This is one anatomical constant used by surgeons to localize and identify the vermiform appendix.
There are three tenia coli best seen in the transverse colon. Because of their relationship with the omentum and the transverse mesocolon, two of them are known as the [tenia omentalis] and the [tenia mesocolica] respectively. The third one is free, and is the easiest one to observe; it is called the "free tenia" or [tenia libera].
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