Mucus is a slimy, slippery fluid that acts as a lubricant and protects various structures in the body. There are a number of mucus-secreting cells in the body, but mucus is most prominent in the respiratory, genital and gastrointestinal tracts, notes the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Some gastrointestinal conditions that damage your digestive tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease or cancer, may require a surgical opening in your abdomen, which allows stool to leave your body. This surgery is medically known as an ileostomy, while the opening itself is called a stoma.

The most common cause of intestinal inflammation is inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, a term used to describe intestinal disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

If have irritable bowel syndrome, you know its symptoms can include abdominal pain. You might also experience abnormal bowel movements that lead to either diarrhea or constipation.

The intestines produce mucus, which protects and lubricates the bowel. A small amount of mucus normally passes unnoticed in the stool. With certain diseases and conditions, bowel mucus production increases. Increased stool mucus appears as clear to white gel-like material, which may coat the stool.