▁M uc us ▁co ats ▁the ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁colon ▁in ▁health , ▁function ing ▁as ▁a ▁protect ive ▁bar rier ▁and ▁also ▁to ▁aid ▁per ist als is ▁by ▁lub ric ation ▁of ▁st ool . ▁M uc ous ▁dis charg es ▁can ▁be ▁thought ▁of ▁in ▁three ▁broad ▁categories : ▁▁ ▁Normal ▁phys i olog ically ▁produced ▁m uc us ▁ ▁In app ropri ately ▁expressed ▁phys i olog ically ▁produced ▁m uc us ▁( e . g . ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁s ph inct er ▁defect s , ▁or ▁les ions ▁prevent ing ▁normal ▁s ph inct er ▁closure , ▁allowing ▁se ep age ▁or ▁so iling ) ▁ ▁M uc us ▁produced ▁in ▁path ological ▁quantities ▁( e . g . ▁from ▁a ▁les ion , ▁or ▁generalized ▁col opro ct itis ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁b acter ial ▁over g row th ) ▁ ▁A ▁m uc ous ▁rect al ▁dis charge ▁may ▁be ▁blood - stre aked . ▁With ▁some ▁conditions , ▁the ▁blood ▁can ▁be ▁hom ogen ously ▁mixed ▁with ▁the ▁m uc us , ▁creating ▁a ▁p ink ▁go o . ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁could ▁be ▁the ▁so - called ▁" red ▁curr ant ▁jel ly " ▁st ools ▁in ▁int uss us ception . ▁This ▁appearance ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁mixture ▁of ▁sl ough ed ▁m uc osa , ▁m uc us , ▁and ▁blood . ▁ ▁Note : ▁" m uc us " ▁is ▁a ▁n oun , ▁used ▁to ▁name