MadSci Network: Anatomy |
As you have learned, peristalsis is the coordinated wave-like contraction of the muscles along the digestive tract to move its contents through. This occurs in the esophagus, as well as the rest of the digestive tract. It is an automatic process that happens without our conscious control. You can sometimes feel it happening in your gut when gas moves through the intestines. Some people have diseases that prevent them from swallowing normally. This is called dysphagia. People can have dysphagia because they have a problem with the muscles used for swallowing, or because they have a problem with the nerves that tell the muscles what to do. In either case, they have trouble swallowing food, liquids and even their own saliva. That is a big hint that swallowing liquids is not a passive process, and it is similar to what happens when you swallow food. It is also true that nerves and muscles are involved in making sure the food, liquid or saliva goes down the esophagus, and this happens by the action of peristalsis.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Anatomy.