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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Digestive and Urinary Systems

Esophagus

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ɪˈsɑːfəɡəs/nounCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, esophagus means: The muscular tube that carries food and liquid from the throat (pharynx) to the stomach. It runs behind the trachea and passes through the diaphragm.

In Turkish: yemek borusu, özofagus

How it is used

Food moves down it by peristalsis, waves of muscle contraction. A ring of muscle at its lower end helps to stop stomach acid flowing back up. Patients may call it the food pipe or gullet. The adjective is esophageal.

Example sentences

  1. In the neck, the esophagus lies directly behind the trachea.

  2. It takes only a few seconds for food to pass down the esophagus.

Common collocations

  • lower esophageal sphincter
  • esophageal wall
  • upper esophagus
  • food pipe
  • stomachThe J-shaped muscular bag between the esophagus and the small intestine. It stores food, mixes it with acid and enzymes, and passes it on slowly to the duodenum.
  • tracheaThe windpipe: the tube that carries air from the larynx down into the chest, where it divides into the right and left main bronchi. C-shaped rings of cartilage keep it open.
  • diaphragmThe dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. When it contracts it flattens and draws air into the lungs; it is the main muscle of breathing.
  • digestionThe process of breaking food down into small molecules that the body can absorb. It is partly mechanical (chewing, churning) and partly chemical, using enzymes.

More terms: Digestive and Urinary Systems

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