65 Facts About The Esophagus For The Budding Doctor In You
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The esophagus is a hollow tube of muscular nature that connects the mouth with the stomach.
Also known as the food pipe, the primary function of the esophagus is to help in swallowing ingested material. It also prevents backflow of the stomach acid, a condition known as acid reflux.
The esophagus is provided with two muscular rings, namely, the upper esophageal sphincter and the lower esophageal sphincter. Apart from the sphincters, the muscles in the digestive system help in the process of swallowing food. The location of the esophagus makes it difficult to access, as a number of essential organs and blood vessels are in the same place.
A few diseases occur in the esophagus, namely esophageal varices and Barrett's esophagus. While the former is characterized by enlarged veins, the latter is the result of the esophagus being overexposed to the acid from the stomach. This causes the lining of the esophagus to become red and thickened. Both these conditions cause trouble in swallowing.
If you like reading esophagus facts, you should also check facts about how many nerves are in the human body?andhow many ribs does a human have?
Fun Facts About The Esophagus
Just like any other body part, the esophagus has a ton of facts associated with it. Read on to find some of the most interesting esophagus facts.
You must already know that the esophagus is the muscular hollow tube through which any ingested item makes its way down from the mouth to the stomach. However, do you know how this happens?
Peristaltic contraction or peristalsis, which can be described as the contraction and relaxation of muscles in the digestive tract occurs to help this happen. In fact, reverse peristalsis or retroperistalsis occurs when the muscle contractions are reversed, leading to the stomach contents like food, coming back up to the mouth. This is how vomiting occurs.
Another factor that helps in the easy passage of food down the esophagus is the mucosa layer. The innermost wall of the esophagus is made up of the mucosa membrane that secretes mucous.
This process lubricates the esophagus, and hence, food slips down easily. In fact, the innermost layer of the stomach also consists of mucosa, serving the same function. The food stays in the esophagus for about two to three seconds.
Facts About Esophagus' Function
Needless to say, the esophagus or food pipe has a set of functions that are essential for your survival. Continue reading to find more about the esophagus' function.
The main function of the esophagus is to help pass down food and also liquids from the mouth to the stomach. Since food moves down to the stomach from the esophagus, primarily, the esophagus works with the stomach in the body.
Being one of the first components in the human digestive tract, the esophagus's first own function is to make this movement easier.
To do so, the upper esophageal sphincter and the lower esophageal sphincter, located at the upper esophagus and lower esophagus, respectively, relax, allowing the liquid or food to pass down.
These two muscular rings of the esophageal sphincter not only help in swallowing but also makes sure that the contents from the stomach, including the stomach's acid, do not travel back up to the esophagus.
This movement of the stomach acid in the opposite direction is known as acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Malfunction of the upper esophageal sphincter and lower esophageal sphincter leads to this issue. The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) helps in eating, vomiting, belching, and breathing.
Facts About Esophagus' Location
The location of the esophagus makes it difficult for doctors to access this part during surgery. Let us now learn about why this is so.
The esophagus is located behind the heart and trachea, also known as the windpipe, and in front of the spine. More precisely, the esophagus starts right behind cartilage in the trachea known as the cricoid.
This area corresponds to the sixth cervical vertebra. Passing through the diaphragm, the food pipe continues till the upper portion of the stomach, known as the cardia. In terms of vertebral position, the end of the esophagus is right where the 11th thoracic vertebra is placed.
It is essential to note that the esophagus is not alone in this position, as it is supplied with different blood vessels throughout its length. For instance, the esophagus located in the cervical region gets blood from the inferior thyroid artery, while the thoracic part is connected to the aorta and bronchial arteries for blood.
A number of nerves are also present in this region. The vagus nerve is known to supply the muscles of the esophagus.
Facts About Esophagus' Size
This fascinating hollow tube that makes the process of swallowing food possible, is not as long as the intestines, but still has a significant measurement.
In humans, the esophagus measures between 7-10 in (18-25 cm). In comparison to the small intestine, which measures around 18 ft (5.5 m), you can only imagine how small the esophagus is! Nevertheless, the development of the esophagus is quite fascinating to study.
During the developmental stages of the human embryo, the esophagus differentiates from the foregut. A number of genes take part in assuring a smooth transition of the designated part of the embryo to the esophagus. One such gene is SOX2, which is essential for the proper development of the esophagus in the human embryo.
Unfortunately, even though malformations during esophageal development are not common, they do occur. An esophagus that is not functioning properly leads to difficulty in birthing. This is because the fetus cannot swallow adequately which results in an increase in the amniotic fluid of the uterus, a condition known as polyhydramnios.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 65 facts about the esophagus for the budding doctor in you, then why not take a look at bones in the human body? or are humans multicellular?
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