Commentary - (2023) Volume 7, Issue 1
Received: 30-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. IPJCGH-23-16031; Editor assigned: 01-Feb-2023, Pre QC No. IPJCGH-23-16031 (PQ); Reviewed: 15-Feb-2023, QC No. IPJCGH-23-16031; Revised: 20-Feb-2023, Manuscript No. IPJCGH-23-16031 (R); Published: 27-Feb-2023, DOI: 10.36648/2575-7733.7.1.6
The muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach is the oesophagus, also referred to as the oesophagus. The oesophagus can either contract or extend to make space for the passage of food. Anatomically, it is situated in front of the spinal column and behind the trachea and heart. The upper esophageal sphincter is situated at the anterior or upper end, while the lower esophageal sphincter is situated at the distal or lower end, cutting off the two closures of the throat by solid tightening effects known as sphincters. The muscular tube that links the stomach to the throat is called the oesophagus (pharynx). It is covered by the mucosa, an 8-inch-long, moist pink layer that coats the oesophagus. The windpipe and heart are behind the oesophagus, which extends in front of the spine (trachea). The oesophagus travels through the diaphragm before entering the stomach. Because it is formed of a circular muscle, the upper esophageal sphincter usually remains closed.
When food enters the pharynx and travels through it into the oesophagus, this sphincter is relaxed; it rapidly closes to prevent food from backing up. The muscles in the oesophagus wall contract to propel food down the esophageal tube (peristalsis). The lower esophageal sphincter, which first opens to let food enter the stomach and then closes to prevent the stomach’s gastric juices and contents from entering the oesophagus, is where the food is forced ahead of the peristaltic wave until it reaches there. Both bleeding and ulcers are esophageal diseases. Gastric juices in the throat can cause acid reflux, esophageal muscle spasms, achalasia, which prevents a patient from swallowing or passing food to the stomach because the esophagu’ss nerve endings have been destroyed.
In some animals, the oesophagus may be more than just a tube connecting the pharynx and the stomach; it may also act as a reservoir for food or an additional digestive organ. For instance, a thin-walled crop created by an enlarged section of the oesophagus prior to the stomach serves as many bird’s main organ for the temporary storage of food. Some birds use the crop to feed their young. Ruminant mammals like the cow are frequently referred to as having four “stomachs.” Actually, the first three of these chambers the rumen, reticulum, and omasum are assumed to have originated in the oesophagus. Many bacteria and protozoans reside in the rumen and reticulum. When food enters these chambers, the microorganisms start to digest and ferment it, separating the cellulose from the protein, carbohydrates, and lipids. Periodically, the larger, coarser material is regurgitated as cud, which is then reswallowed after additional chewing. The real stomach and intestine of the cow are where additional digestion and absorption occur. The byproducts of microbial activities and some of the microorganisms themselves move slowly. The cow depends on these helpful bacteria work in the stomach since, like other highly evolved mammals, it lacks the chemicals necessary to digest cellulose. As a result, the cow has access to a sizeable amount of cellulose that would not otherwise have any nutritional value and is a component of its herbivorous diet.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation: Andrawes A (2023) Esophagus: A Pipe through which the Food Passes into the Stomach. J Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 7:06.
Copyright: © 2023 Andrawes A. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
