Once you push food to the back of your through to swallow it, the esophagus pushes it down to your stomach. As food goes from your mouth to your esophagus, it passes over top of the epiglottis, which shuts like a lid to keep stuff from falling down your trachea (windpipe).
The Epiglottis
It is called the Epiglottis. If you talk while eating, your epiglottis and your esophagus are open, so instead of going down the esophagus, it goes down the epiglottis. Have you ever heard someone say 'It went down the wrong tube' when you choke? This is what they mean.
The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that selectively blocks the trachea and the esophagus as needed. It blocks the esophagus, allowing flow through the trachea when breathing. It blocks the trachea, allowing flow through the esophagus when swallowing. This prevents choking and inhalation of food.
No. The epiglottis is a cartilaginous structure at the top of the larynx and behind the tongue that closes the trachea during swallowing, diverting food to the esophagus.
The epiglottis blocks the entrance to your windpipe when you swallow. This action prevents food from entering your trachea instead of your esophagus.
The Epiglottis
epiglottis
It is called the Epiglottis. If you talk while eating, your epiglottis and your esophagus are open, so instead of going down the esophagus, it goes down the epiglottis. Have you ever heard someone say 'It went down the wrong tube' when you choke? This is what they mean.
Epiglottis
The epiglottis
The epiglottis closes the trachea when eating and drinking. After you swallow, the epiglottis re-opens the trachea and closes the esophagus.
The epiglottis.
They meet at the epiglottis. The epiglottis is the flap of muscle that closes over your windpipe when you swallow food.
ear, eye, esophagus, epiglottis
Epiglottis
The esophagus
Epiglottis.