what is an esophagus
However, your feedback is important to us. The esophagus is a hollow muscular tube that transports saliva, liquids, and foods from the mouth to the stomach. When the patient is upright, the esophagus is usually between 25 to 30 centimeters in length, while its width averages 1.5 to 2 cm. The muscular layers that form the esophagus are closed tightly at both ends by sphincter muscles, to prevent food or liquids from leaking from the stomach back into the esophagus or mouth. When the patient swallows, the sphincters temporarily relax to allow passage of the food through.