Esophagus - Food Pipe - Gullet

Esophagus is also spelt as oesophagus. It is also known as gullet, food pipe and swallowing tube.

It comes fro m the Greek word oisophagos. Oisein means to carry and phagein means to eat. It is the 'entrance for eating'

Food pipe is a muscular tube through which the food passes after you swallow it. It is the beginning part of the digestive tract at the entrance it is about 25 to 30 cm long. It starts at the end of the mouth and ends at the stomach. It is the tube that connects the pharynx (throat) to the stomach.

This food pipe or gullet consists of mucus secreting glands which are also called 'esophageal glands'. These glands in the lining produce mucus. This mucus eases the way downwards for the food by keeping the tube moist which makes swallowing easier.

Once the person swallows food, it is pushed downward because of the contractions of the muscular walls in the esophagus till it enters stomach. The digestive process which starts in the mouth continues in the stomach.

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