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    The Esophagus

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    josetelhado
    The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. It is located behind the trachea and passes through the diaphragm into the abdomen. Swallowing is a complex coordinated process involving over 22 muscles that propels food from the mouth to the stomach in less than a second. The esophageal phase of swallowing involves peristalsis waves that push food through the esophagus and into the stomach through relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The muscular sphincters at both ends of the esophagus prevent food and stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction.

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    The Esophagus

    Uploaded by

    josetelhado
    30 views3 pages
    The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. It is located behind the trachea and passes through the diaphragm into the abdomen. Swallowing is a complex coordinated process involving over 22 muscles that propels food from the mouth to the stomach in less than a second. The esophageal phase of swallowing involves peristalsis waves that push food through the esophagus and into the stomach through relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The muscular sphincters at both ends of the esophagus prevent food and stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction.

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    The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. It is located behind the trachea and passes through the diaphragm into the abdomen. Swallowing is a complex coordinated process involving over 22 muscles that propels food from the mouth to the stomach in less than a second. The esophageal phase of swallowing involves peristalsis waves that push food through the esophagus and into the stomach through relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The muscular sphincters at both ends of the esophagus prevent food and stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    30 views3 pages

    The Esophagus

    Uploaded by

    josetelhado
    The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. It is located behind the trachea and passes through the diaphragm into the abdomen. Swallowing is a complex coordinated process involving over 22 muscles that propels food from the mouth to the stomach in less than a second. The esophageal phase of swallowing involves peristalsis waves that push food through the esophagus and into the stomach through relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The muscular sphincters at both ends of the esophagus prevent food and stomach acids from moving in the wrong direction.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 3

    The Esophagus

    Clinical anatomy
    The esophagus is a straight muscular tube (25 to 30cm long and 2cm in diameter
    at its widest) that connects the pharynx to the stomach. (Rice University. 2017) It
    begins between the C6 vertebra, posterior to the cricoid cartilage and finishes at
    the level of the T6 vertebra. (Saladin. 2020) Its located posterior to the trachea and
    remains collapsed when not engaged in swallowing. Entering the abdomen level,
    the esophagus penetrates the diaphragm through an opening called esophageal
    hiatus, and continues downward until meeting with the stomach. (Saladin. 2020)
    This opening (into the stomach) is called cardiac orifice (due to its proximity with
    the heart). This is where when swallowing, food briefly pauses before entering the
    stomach due to a constriction called lower esophageal sphincter (LES), that
    prevents the stomach contents from returning into the esophagus, thus protecting
    its mucosa (heartburn). (Saladin. 2020)

    The passage of food through the Esophagus

    Swallowing or deglutition is a complex process, that involves over 22 muscles


    in the mouth, pharynx and esophagus, all of which are coordinated by the
    swallowing center (at the medulla oblongata). (Saladin. 2020) It’s through this
    center that a coordinated communication occurs with the various muscles
    enervated by the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves
    (cranial nerves V, VII, IX and XII). The process follows three phases: The oral or
    buccal, pharyngeal and esophageal phases. (Saladin. 2020)
    When swallowing, different pharyngeal muscles work together to prevent food or
    drink from entering the glottis.
    Food is therefore crushed and chewed into a bolus before being swallowed. When
    ready to swallow, different muscles of the neck and pharynx elevate the larynx
    which bends the epiglottis over the glottis letting the bolus slide across rather than
    falling into the larynx. The pharyngeal constrictor muscles push the bolus towards
    and into the esophagus which occurs with the glottis closed. (Shier et al. 2015) All
    this process takes less than a second for the pharyngeal muscles to propel the
    bolus into the esophagus. During such action, the respiratory centers are inhibited
    and breathing stops. Each day we swallow approximately 2400 times. (Shier et al.
    2015)

    The esophageal phase


    As soon as food enters the esophagus, the esophageal phase begins. Such phase
    is characterized by deglutition and the initiation of peristalsis. As in previous
    phases, complex neuromuscular actions occur and are controlled by the medulla.
    (Rice University. 2017)
    The upper esophageal sphincter (continuous with the inferior pharyngeal
    constrictor) controls the movement of food from the pharynx into the esophagus. At
    this point, rhythmic waves of peristalsis (2 waves may occur; primary and
    secondary), beginning at the upper esophagus. The circular muscle layer contracts
    pinching the pharyngeal wall to propel the bolus forward toward the stomach. At
    the same time, the longitudinal muscle layer also contracts, shortening the area,
    and pushes out its walls to receive the bolus.
    As the bolus reaches the stomach, a distention of the esophagus begins a short
    reflex relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter to allow the bolus to enter the
    stomach. The bolus enters the stomach at the lower esophageal sphincter
    (contracting and relaxing), a muscle surrounded by the muscular diaphragm.
    Relaxing lets the bolus into the stomach and contracting keeps the bolus inside the
    stomach preventing the stomach acids from returning back into the esophagus.
    The muscular diaphragm helps to seal and close the sphincter when no swallowing
    occurs. (Rice University. 2017) When this sphincter doesn’t close completely, reflux
    may occur, causing heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). (Rice
    University. 2017)

    During the esophageal phase, esophageal glands secret mucus to lubricate the
    esophagus and food, preventing dryness and friction. (Rice University. 2017)
    References:
    David Shier, Jackie Butler and Ricki Lewis. (2015). Hole’s essentials of human
    anatomy & physiology. Twelfth edition. McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY.
    USA

    Saladin. (2020). Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, ninth
    edition, Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121.
    2020

    Rice University. (2017). Anatomy and Physiology. Openstax. https://openstax.org.

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