Why do we have an esophagus?

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The esophagus is a very important part of our bodies. It is a tube that connects our throats to our stomachs. All of the food we eat passes though the esophagus on its way to be digested.

If your stomach were right below your throat, you wouldn’t need an esophagus. Our chests are pretty crowded though, with our heart and with our lungs, so our stomachs are down below in our bellies. Food needs a way to get there.

When food enters the esophagus, it doesn’t just fall freely. There are muscles along the esophagus that squeeze in a special rhythm to actually push food toward the stomach. Because of those muscles, a person can actually swallow if they are upside down! 

Esophagus Exploration

The food we eat takes a long journey through the body. It enters in the mouth and then moves in an out of different body parts until its final exit (which is when you have to go to the bathroom!)

Grab some crayons and a piece of paper and make a map that shows where your food goes. You’ll start with the mouth and the throat. Next are the esophagus and the stomach. Then there is the duodenum, the small intestine, and the large intestine, before the parts of the food that your body can’t use are flushed down the toilet.