Why does poop smell so bad?

Question

someone said something about bacteria but i have no idea... just curious..

Answer 1

Bacteria is always present on everything, so when you eat you also eat some bacteria, although most of the time you only consume harmless bacteria. If it is allowed to multiply in heat it begins to smell bad.

Answer 2

it may be because poop is mostly bacteria i guess. the digestive system takes all the nurtrients and water it needs, but it also goes through chemical processes in the intestines, stomach, liver that help in breaking down and pulling out hte nutrients needed. So when it becomes poop leaving the anus it may be because of all the bacteria that is left. That is why it is recommended in anal sexual activity to wear a "glove" and lubrication so all the bacteria wont be affect the man when he proceeds inwards.

Answer 3

One way of responding to the question is to suggest that you are "begging the question."

"Begging the question" means that you are asking us to respond to a question that has an assumption we have to agree with in order to give you an answer. Why do I say this?

I had a college professor refer to a study that suggested poop stinks because we associate the smell to poop. For just an instant, people thought this unidentified smell was nice until they made the association between poop and what they'd just smelled. Suddenly, the odor was disgusting.

So, maybe the answer to your question is found in Anthropology or Psychology, and not in Biology.

I think of something like sour milk. There's something mildly pleasant about the smell in & of itself. But that SENSE is overwhelmed by the IDEA that I absolutely do not want to put sour milk in my mouth.

Answer 4

The bacteria in our intestines break down undigested material and releases gases that do not smell good. This is a putrefactive process. Imagine that your large intestine is like a big garbage dumping ground.

Answer 5

Basically the bacteria in our gut release gases after breaking down material. These gases contain Sulfur. We all know that Sulfur isn't pleasant to the nose. Sulfur is also in the substance that skunks release.

Answer 6

Yep, lots of bacteria digesting like mad and giving off gas.

Answer 7

it smells bad because of the formation of substances called skatole and indole produced by the bacterial degardation of the undigested food material.

Answer 8

It's the body's waste from what you've eaten. Just as garbage smells. So does the waste from your body.

Answer 9

You are trained by parents to "think" it smells bad.
Babies and small children don't mind the odor at all.
Your parents say "EWWWW.....stinky!" when they change your diapers or you decide to go pick up a piece of animal feces.....so you are trained.