If taste receptors seem out of place anywhere other than the mouth, this is only because they were first found in taste buds on the tongue, says neurobiologist Thomas Finger, co-director of the University of Colorado's Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center in Aurora.
Symptoms may include abdominal pain, vomiting, rectal pain and diarrhea. Left untreated chronic and ongoing blood in the stool can lead to severe blood loss over time (anemia). Symptoms of anemia can include weakness, dizziness, hypotension, fainting and shortness of breath. Blood in the stool may also occur without other noticeable symptoms.
As a screening exam for colon polyps and cancer. Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding. Dark/black stools. Persistent diarrhea. Iron deficiency anemia (a decrease in blood count due to loss of iron) Significant, unexplained weight loss, accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms. A family history of colon cancer.