the.com/esophagus
A muscular elevator that shoves dinner downward whether or not gravity bothers to help.
means The muscular tube that carries swallowed food and drink from the throat down to the stomach.
from From Greek 'oisophagos,' the gullet — traditionally parsed as if from 'oisein' (to carry) plus 'phagein' (to eat), roughly 'that which carries what's eaten,' though the exact build of the word is debated. It reached English via Latin 'oesophagus,' which is why British spelling still keeps the 'oe.'
- upside-down test
- Astronauts and acrobats can swallow while inverted, no problem
- length
- Roughly 25 centimeters of disciplined squeezing tube
- the gatekeeper
- Two ringed valves seal both ends shut
- wrong neighbor
- Sits right behind the trachea, sharing tight quarters
- peristalsis
- Muscles ripple in waves to push food down