What is the esophagus?
The esophagus is a stretchable muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach. Primarily, the esophagus ensures the transport of food and fluids through the throat and chest into the abdomen.
An outer layer of connective tissue ensures the mobility of the esophagus in the chest cavity during swallowing. Blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerve tracts are found in this displacement layer. The loose connective tissue under the mucosa is crisscrossed by an extensive venous plexus.
What is the function of the esophagus?
The main function of the esophagus is to transport food and liquids from the pharynx to the stomach. The mucus produced by the esophagus makes the food even more slippery in the process, so that it can slide smoothly into the stomach.
The upper sphincter, in conjunction with the closure mechanisms of the larynx, ensures that no food particles or foreign bodies are inhaled during swallowing (aspiration). Thanks to the lower sphincter, no acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus. This would otherwise damage the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Due to this interaction of the muscles, the swallowing process also works against gravity to a certain extent.
Where is the esophagus located?
Passing through the diaphragm, the esophagus leaves the thoracic cavity and enters the abdominal cavity. The abdominal segment (pars abdominalis) is short: three centimeters below the diaphragm, the esophagus ends. It merges with the stomach in the area of the stomach mouth (cardia).
What problems can the esophagus cause?
Esophageal cancer (esophageal carcinoma) is most commonly found in the physiological narrowing of the esophagus. Esophageal varices can form as a result of severe liver disease. These pathologically dilated veins can rupture and cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, bleeding.
