Esophagus

The esophagus is a tubular organ that connects the mouth to the stomach. The chewed and softened food passes through the esophagus after being swallowed. The smooth muscles of the esophagus undergo a series of wave like movements called peristalsis that push the food toward the stomach. The peristalsis wave is unidirectional—it moves food from the mouth to the stomach, and reverse movement is not possible. The peristaltic movement of the esophagus is an involuntary reflex; it takes place in response to the act of swallowing.

The progress of food down the esophagus is shown with 3 tubes. The tube squeezes inwards just above the food. In the first tube, the food is at the top, then in the second tube, the food is halfway down, then in the third tube, the food is near the bottom.

Figure 1: The esophagus transfers food from the mouth to the stomach through peristaltic movements.

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