# What is the anus?

It is called the anus. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as the external opening of the digestive tract.

## What it means

- The external opening of the digestive tract.
- Surrounded by two muscular sphincters — an internal (smooth muscle) and an external (voluntary).
- Controls the release of feces.

## Action steps

1. At the lower end of the anal canal.
2. Between the buttocks.
3. The perianal skin is richly supplied with sensory nerves.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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