Saliva in the mouth moistens the food, while mastication (chewing) breaks the food into pieces. These enter the esophagus where gravity, the circular action of sliding against smooth muscle, and slight peristalsis moves the food into the stomach. Peristalsis is similar to gentle waves within the muscle walls of the esophagus. Peristalsis only and always moves in one direction: downward. Peristalsis in the intestines is stronger.
gravity my friend. gravity.
Peristalsis is the wave-like contraction of smooth muscles in esophagus that moves food down towards the stomach. The gastroesophageal junction lets food enter the stomach from the esophagus. To visualize peristalsis, imagine your index and middle fingers are on and squeezing the bottom of a toothpaste tube. If you keep your fingers tight and slide them up the tube, toothpaste (if the cap's off) will pour out of the end of the tube.
In the esophagus and intestines, the same thing happens, only instead of two fingers, strong muscles do the squeezing, starting with a muscle in your throat, then the next muscle down, then the next muscles below that, until the rippling squeezings of the muscles reach their destination. In the case of the esophagus, the destination is your stomach.
This rippling muscle movement is called "peristalsis" (pair-uh-STALL-sis). The batch of food being swallowed is called the "bolus." These two terms also apply to the intestines. The muscle behind the bolus contracts while the muscle in front relaxes, continuously in a wave-like motion.
By using a series of muscles in the throat, the esophagus pushes food down into your stomach
Once food has entered the esophagus, it doesn't just drop into your stomach. The muscles in your esophagus move in a wavy way to slowly squeeze food through.
your esophagus
Chyme
which process moves food through the esophagus
peristalsis is a muscle that helps food to get through the oesphagus
yes
COLUMNAR EPITHELIAL CELLS ARE FOUND IN THE ESOPHAGUS. THEY HELP IN THE PERISTALSIS MOVEMENT OF THE OESOPHAGUS TO MOVE THE FOOD THROUGH IT TO THE STOMACH. COLUMNAR EPITHELIAL CELLS ARE FOUND IN THE ESOPHAGUS. THEY HELP IN THE PERISTALSIS MOVEMENT OF THE OESOPHAGUS TO MOVE THE FOOD THROUGH IT TO THE STOMACH.
muscles lining the esophagus move in a wavelike motion, oushing the food through the esophagus and into the stomach
Smooth muscles in the wall of an esophagus move food downward with a squeezing action. These waves of muscle contractions move food through the entire digestive tract. This process is called peristalsis.
muscular contractions
Food does pass through the pharynx before it goes into the esophagus and on to the stomach.
Food moves from the mouth to the stomach through the esophagus. A combination of gravity and small muscles in the esophagus causes the food to move.
Different types of muscle contractions
2-3 sec. it takes 4-8 minutes for food to trvel down the esophagus