The cecum or caecum (from the Latin meaning blind)'s a pouch, connecting the ileum with the ascending colon of the large intestine. It's separated from the ileum by the ileocecal valve (ICV) or Bauhin's valve, and's considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It's also separated from the colon by the cecocolic junction. Variation across species The cecum's present in mammals and squid, and two ceca are present in most birds (and some reptiles). Most herbivores have a relatively larg… (More on Caecum)