Oesophagus as a muscular organ

Question

Whether oesophagus is a muscular organ? Explain why even in the patient who is lying totally flat on the hospital bed, can the swallowed food reaches the stomach?

Answer 1

Oesophagus is predominantly muscular organ thus the assertion is correct. Oesophagus is defined as a muscular tube which is in its superior third of striated muscle tissue, in its middle third of mixed muscle tissue and in its lower third of the smooth muscle tissue. Peristalsis of the oesophagus allows movement of the food towards stomach even without any gravitational help.