Organ: Esophagus

Esophagus: The tube passing food from the throat to the stomach
Introduction: 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. ¹

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.²

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: all organs

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