Lower Oesophagus

Digestion starts in mouth and it is going through several steps. Teeth which are a Mechanical digestion start tearing and crushing the food down into small pieces so that the food will smoothly run down our throat. The salivary glands are located underneath the back of our tongues and that’s what is creating our saliva. The saliva is the Chemical Digestion is helping soften the food in the mouth so it is easy to swallow. Also saliva is the first out of several chemicals that is breaking the food into smaller bits. The tongue is the muscle that works with the food and saliva to form something similar to balls that can be swallowed. Also tongue contains taste buds so that we know if the food is salt, sweet, sour or bitter. Esophangus is a simple transportation tube that is joining the throat with stomach. When swallowing we are closing a trap door in our throats called the epiglottis. By closing this trap we are preventing the food prom going to trachea and into our lungs. Also Food moves down the esophangus using muscles not gravity. Stomach is the first stop after the Esophangus. When the food gets into stomach the stomach uses chemicals to try to make the food smaller. These chemicals are called gastric juices and they include hydrochloric acid and enzymes. (Enzymes are

Swallowing is the movement of food from the mouth into the Esophagus. The esophagus secretes mucus and transports the food to the stomach via peristalsis.

These different layers are made up of many tissues allowing the full function of the esophagus. Beginning in the lumen the mucosa is comprised of 3 layers, the epithelial layer, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosa. The epithelial layer is composed of non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The epithelial layer has larger cells rich in glycogen that become have a more flattened appearance as they approach the lumen. The basal zone of this layer consists of cuboidal or rectangular cells that have basophilic nuclei and cytoplasm containing no glycogen with melanocytes and neuroendocrine cells are scattered.9 The lamina propria is follows the basal lamina and consists of loosely arranged collagen fibers and fibroblasts in a glycosaminoglycan matrix with lymphocytes, eosinophils, and some mast cells and plasma cells. Tongues of the lamina propria extend towards the lumen surface giving a waved appearance. A thin muscularis mucosa layer is the deepest of the mucosa composed of sheets of longitudinal and circular smooth muscle. Bellow the layers of the mucosa is the submucosa. This layer is rich in blood vessels, lymphocytes, nerves, ganglion cells, and scattered with mucous glands that secrete acid mucins. The ducts of these glands are lined with stratified columnar epithelium which penetrate the layers of the mucosa opening to the lumen of the esophagus.9 Lymphocytes,

Firstly, in hopes of understanding what esophageal cancer is, one must first understand what the esophagus is. The esophagus is a muscular tube connecting your throat to your stomach. It’s primary purpose it to transport food to the stomach and is usually between 10 – 13 inches long. Furthermore, the esophagus is lined with smooth muscle tissue, which causes contracts without conscious thought, moving the food along to the

Dysphagia means trouble swallowing. Many parts of the mouth and throat work together in swallowing. Trouble swallowing can be caused by mouth and throat problems at any level. Problems moving food through the esophagus can also be a cause. The esophagus is the tube that connects the mouth and stomach. Some common esophagus problems are:

The throat, Pharynx, is part of the digestive and respiratory system, extending from the base of the skull to the level of the lower border of the cricoid cartilage and the 6th cervical vertebra. It is a fibro-muscular tube lined with mucous membrane and is divided into three sections:-

This tough ligament limits displacement of the esophagus into the thorax and draws it back into position while minimizing circumferential traction on the LES. Laxity of the ligament with age facilitates the development of hiatus hernia. Aside from its function to provide a loose collar around the LES allowing plasticity to move in relation to the diaphragm, it does not contribute to the sphincter pressure profile. (Richter, 2013)

The Alimentary Canal is a system which contains different sections and organs that work together to digest substances. Food substances pass through the alimentary canal which starts at the mouth and eventually ends up at the anus. Ingestion is the consumption of a substance through the mouth e.g. eating or drinking. The mouth increases surface area for chemical digestion as Salivary glands produce Saliva which contains amylase to breakdown starch. Saliva also contains mineral salts to keep PH constant and Mucin to make food slimy and easier to pass down the oesophagus. Peristalsis is the movement of food by coordinated involuntary muscle contractions. Peristalsis is used in the oesophagus, stomach, and intestines to transport food.

The throat is a funnel shaped tube that is connected to the end of the mouth. The throat has the role of passing of chewed food from the mouth to the oesophagus. The throat has another role as it has the important role in the respiratory system , as air from nasal cavity passed through the throat on its way to the larynx and eventually the lungs.

The main objective for this study was to determine the effect of chronic gastric reflux on the microscopic status and histology of esophageal mucosa and the expression of mRNA for Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and plasma proinflammatory cytokine levels. The researchers were interested in role of COX-2 and chronic inflammation that leads to the progression of Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) to adenocarcinoma in the esophagus. This connection has not been studied in experimental models as extensively as it has in human models, so this study conducts the in vitro examination of the esophagus in rats. They chose to study cyclooxygenase-2 and proinflammatory cytokine levels based on the fact that these two molecules are the central contributors to the inflammatory response. They hypothesized that the overproduction and excessive release of COX-2 and

When we pop a food into our mouth and chew with lower teeth performing all the motion, rising and falling at the rate of an inch a second. Gulp, and down the food goes, and now we rely on esophageal peristalsis, a 10 inch long organ of the digestive system that helps move food from the back of our throat to our stomach with a speed of ¾ inch per second. Once food has entered the esophagus, it doesn’t directly drop in our stomach in just a snap of a finger. Instead, the muscles in the walls of the esophagus move in a wavy way to slowly squeeze causing, the food flow in the esophagus, its speed. Splash — into the tummy. There, the food remains for an average of two to four

The lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS), links the oesophagus and the stomach together and along with the upper oesophageal sphincter ensures that the movement of food within the GI tract is unidirectional (Insel, et al., 2010), (Bijlani & Manjunatha, 2010). The sphincters consist of thickened rings of circular muscle; it is these thickened rings of muscle, which allows the sphincter to carry out the movement of food into the stomach (Starr & McMillan, 2015), (Hull, 2011). Partially digested food, can move into the stomach when the circular muscles relax (due to peristalsis). When the circular muscles are contracted, they prevent the backflow (reflux) of gastric acid present in stomach (Insel, et al., 2014), (Tilanus & Attwood, 2013).

The oesophagus - it connects to the stomach via the cardia, the (LES) connects to the cardia and it contracts to hold food inside the stomach.

The stomach is a muscular, hollow part of the gastrointestinal tract that functions as a vital

In a way, the esophagus is kind of like a stretchy and muscular highway that is about 10 inches long but rather than transporting people from destination to destination it transports food from the back of your throat and into your stomach. Besides your esophagus, also located at the back of your throat is what is known as your windpipe, which is connected to your lungs and allows air to enter and leave your body. When you swallow a small bit of bolus, a special