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The oesophagus is a muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach. It is surrounded at the top and bottom by two muscular rings, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters, which close the oesophagus when food is not being swallowed. The oesophagus has two types of muscle: striated muscle in the upper third, and smooth muscle in the lower third. The middle third contains a mixture of both.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle layer | External layer of longitudinal muscle and inner layer of circular muscle |
| Muscle types | Striated muscle, smooth muscle |
| Muscle arrangement | Two layers, with muscle fibres running longitudinally and encircling the oesophagus |
| Sphincters | Upper and lower oesophageal sphincters |
| Length | 10-14 inches |
| Diameter | 1 inch |
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What You'll Learn
- The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach
- The oesophagus has two muscular rings at the top and bottom, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters
- The upper third of the oesophagus contains striated muscle, the lower third contains smooth muscle
- The outermost layer of the oesophagus is the adventitia, with the abdominal part covered in serosa
- The oesophagus has an external layer of longitudinal muscle and an inner layer of circular muscle
The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach
The oesophagus has two types of muscle. The upper third contains striated muscle, the lower third contains smooth muscle, and the middle third contains a mixture of both. The muscle is arranged in two layers: one in which the muscle fibres run longitudinally to the oesophagus, and the other in which the fibres encircle it. The outermost layer of the oesophagus is the adventitia, with the abdominal part being covered in serosa.
The muscles in the upper portion of the oesophagus are under voluntary control. The remaining portion consists of smooth muscle like the rest of the digestive tract and is not under voluntary control. Food is transported through the oesophagus by peristalsis – rhythmic contractions of the muscles which propagate down the oesophagus.
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The oesophagus has two muscular rings at the top and bottom, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters
The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach. It has two muscular rings at the top and bottom, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters. These sphincters act to close the oesophagus when food is not being swallowed, preventing food from coming back up from the stomach. The upper oesophageal sphincter is an anatomical sphincter formed by the lower portion of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor, also known as the cricopharyngeal sphincter due to its relation with the cricoid cartilage of the larynx anteriorly. The lower oesophageal sphincter is not an anatomical but a functional sphincter, meaning that it acts as a sphincter but does not have a distinct thickening like other sphincters.
The oesophagus has two types of muscle. The upper third of the oesophagus contains striated muscle, the lower third contains smooth muscle, and the middle third contains a mixture of both. The muscle is arranged in two layers: an outer longitudinal layer and an inner circular layer. The muscles in the upper portion of the oesophagus are under voluntary control, while the remaining portion consists of smooth muscle like the rest of the digestive tract and is not under voluntary control. Food is transported through the oesophagus by peristalsis, or rhythmic contractions of the muscles which propagate down the oesophagus.
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The upper third of the oesophagus contains striated muscle, the lower third contains smooth muscle
The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach. It is surrounded at the top and bottom by two muscular rings, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters. These sphincters close the oesophagus when food is not being swallowed, preventing food from coming back up from the stomach.
The oesophagus contains two types of muscle. The upper third of the oesophagus contains striated muscle, which is under voluntary control. The lower third contains smooth muscle, which is not under voluntary control. The middle third contains a mixture of both.
The muscle is arranged in two layers: an outer longitudinal layer and an inner circular layer. These layers are separated by the myenteric plexus, a tangled network of nerve fibres involved in the secretion of mucus and in peristalsis of the smooth muscle of the oesophagus. Peristalsis refers to the rhythmic contractions of the muscles that propagate down the oesophagus, transporting food.
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The outermost layer of the oesophagus is the adventitia, with the abdominal part covered in serosa
The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach. The muscle layer is divided into an outer longitudinal layer and an inner circular layer. The outermost layer of the oesophagus is the adventitia, with the abdominal part covered in serosa. The adventitia is a thin layer composed of collagen and elastic fibres. Its main function is to protect the vessel from excessive extension and recoil. The serosa is a layer of tissue surrounding an organ, composed of ordinary connective tissue with a surface of mesothelium. The serosa has the same composition as mesentery and comprises the visceral peritoneum. It continues over the abdominal wall as the parietal peritoneum.
The oesophagus is surrounded at the top and bottom by two muscular rings, known as the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters. These act to close the oesophagus when food is not being swallowed. The upper oesophageal sphincter is an anatomical sphincter, formed by the lower portion of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor. The lower oesophageal sphincter is a functional sphincter, meaning that it acts as a sphincter but does not have a distinct thickening like other sphincters. The upper portion of the oesophageal muscles is under voluntary control, while the remaining portion consists of smooth muscle and is not under voluntary control. Food is transported through the oesophagus by peristalsis – rhythmic contractions of the muscles which propagate down the oesophagus.
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The oesophagus has an external layer of longitudinal muscle and an inner layer of circular muscle
The oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube that connects the back of the throat to the top of the stomach. The oesophagus has an external layer of longitudinal muscle and an inner layer of circular muscle. These two layers are separated by the myenteric plexus, a tangled network of nerve fibres involved in the secretion of mucus and in peristalsis of the smooth muscle of the oesophagus. The outermost layer of the oesophagus is the adventitia in most of its length, with the abdominal part being covered in serosa. The very distal and intraperitoneal portion of the oesophagus has an outer covering of serosa, instead of adventitia. The muscle layer is further divided into an outer longitudinal layer and an inner circular layer.
The oesophagus is surrounded at the top and bottom by two muscular rings, known as the upper oesophageal sphincter and the lower oesophageal sphincter. These sphincters act to close the oesophagus when food is not being swallowed. The upper oesophageal sphincter is an anatomical sphincter, which is formed by the lower portion of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor, also known as the cricopharyngeal sphincter due to its relation with cricoid cartilage of the larynx anteriorly. The lower oesophageal sphincter is not an anatomical but rather a functional sphincter, meaning that it acts as a sphincter but does not have a distinct thickening like other sphincters. The muscles in the upper portion of the oesophagus are under voluntary control. The remaining portion consists of smooth muscle like the rest of the digestive tract and is not under voluntary control. To keep food from coming back up from the stomach, the oesophagus has two circular bands of involuntary muscle.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the oesophagus is a hollow muscular tube.
The oesophagus contains two types of muscle: striated muscle and smooth muscle. The upper third of the oesophagus contains striated muscle, the lower third contains smooth muscle, and the middle third contains a mixture of both.
The oesophagus has two layers of muscle: an outer longitudinal layer and an inner circular layer.
The muscles in the oesophagus are responsible for transporting food through the oesophagus via peristalsis, or rhythmic contractions of the muscles. The oesophagus also has two circular bands of involuntary muscle, or sphincters, that keep food from coming back up from the stomach.
