Organ: Esophagus

Descriptions of Esophagus

Esophagus: The muscular tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach.
Source: National Institute of Health

Esophagus: the passage between the pharynx and the stomach
Source: WordNet 2.1

Esophagus : portion of the digestive canal between the pharynx and stomach.
Source: CRISP

Article Excerpts about Esophagus

The esophagus is the organ into which the swallowed food is pushed. It connects the throat above with the stomach below. At the junction of the esophagus and stomach, there is a ringlike valve closing the passage between the two organs. However, as the food approaches the closed ring, the surrounding muscles relax and allow the food to pass. (Source: excerpt from Your Digestive System and How It Works: NIDDK)

The esophagus is a hollow tube that carries food and liquids from the throat to the stomach. When a person swallows, the muscular walls of the esophagus contract to push food down into the stomach. Glands in the lining of the esophagus produce mucus, which keeps the passageway moist and makes swallowing easier. The esophagus is located just behind the trachea (windpipe). In an adult, the esophagus is about 10 inches long. (Source: excerpt from What You Need To Know About Cancer of the Esophagus: NCI)

Summary Information: Esophagus

Esophagus: The tube passing food from the throat to the stomach.

Condition count: 16 ; see list below.

Organ types: Neck (43), Throat (44)

Related organs: neck (43), throat (44), stomach (36), trachea (5), epiglottis (2)

Organs: list of all organs

Diseases List for Esophagus:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Esophagus' or similar listed as an affected body part in our database:

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