Question

What makes the movement of the food bolus in the oesophagus easy?

Answer 1

Hint: Alimentary canal or the digestive system includes the entire mechanism that starts with ingestion of food to its movement till the stomach. It concludes with digestion of food particles. The digestive system includes mouth, food pipe, stomach, small intestine, large intestine etc.

Complete answer:
Oesophagus or food pipe is an organ in the human digestive system that transfers food particles to the stomach for its ingestion. It is located ahead of the spinal column and right at the back of trachea and heart. Dimension of the food pipe is around 25 cm with a breadth variable “between” 1.5 to 2 cm.

Oesophagus passes food through the thoracic cavity with the help of muscular contractions. It helps in the separation of the ingested food into small particles, which is known as bolus. Food pipe also completes a grave purpose of limiting food pass into the windpipe. It prevents such entry with the help of epiglottis movement.

It also confirms swift channels of food by method of rhythmic reductions and narrowing of the oesophageal influences. The movement of muscles to push down ingested food towards the stomach.

The rhythmic contraction and relaxation movements of the wall of oesophagus is called peristaltic movement, which makes the movement of food bolus in the oesophagus easier, and as the saliva is mixed in the chewed food that helps in lubrication and also helps in easier movement of food. Oesophagus also secretes mucus for lubrication of food.

Note: Peristalsis could be defined as a series of involuntary movements of the longitudinal and circular muscles that are involved in the movement of food and other liquid particles in the gastric tract to numerous dispensation tissues that are situated in the peptic organization.