The food pipe
Oesophagus · oesophagus
The muscular tube that carries food from your throat to your stomach.
What it does
The oesophagus runs about 25 centimetres from the throat, down behind the windpipe and heart, through the diaphragm into the stomach. Waves of muscle contraction push food along, and a ring of muscle at the bottom normally stops stomach acid from flowing back up.
Surprising fact
Swallowing works even upside down, because muscular waves, not gravity, carry food down the oesophagus.
Why it matters
When the ring at the bottom is weak, acid leaks upward and causes heartburn. Eating smaller meals and not lying down straight after eating can help.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.