The large intestine, also called the colon or the large bowel, is the last part of the digestive system in vertebrates.Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste material is stored as feces before being removed by defecation.he colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates. It extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body and is the site in which flora-aided (large bacterial) fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs.