The function of the cecum is to:

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Food moves through the large intestine much more slowly than it moves through the small intestine. Therefore, incoming deliveries from the small intestine need a place to wait until the next segment of the large intestine, the ascending colon, is able to accept more food for processing. Hence, the cecum is like a "waiting room" for food that is leaving the small intestine and entering the large intestine. The villi increase the small intestine's ability to absorb nutrients by increasing the surface area of the mucosa. Enzymes help digest food. The chyme leaves the stomach through the pyloric sphincter, a circle of muscular tissue that surrounds the place where the stomach empties into the small intestine and helps to prevent food from returning to the stomach once it enters the small intestine.

The Function of the Cecum Is To