ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Peristalsis is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. It starts in the esophagus where strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle move balls of swallowed food to the stomach.

Detailed explanation-2: -At the end of the esophagus, a muscular ring or valve called a sphincter (pronounced: SFINK-ter) allows food to enter the stomach and then squeezes shut to keep food or fluid from flowing back up into the esophagus.

Detailed explanation-3: -Peristalsis squeezes your esophageal muscles from top to bottom. This pushes food and liquid along. If you could see peristalsis, it would look like a wave passing down your esophagus. To keep food and liquids moving in the right direction, your digestive tract has special muscles along its course called sphincters.

Detailed explanation-4: -After you swallow, peristalsis pushes the food down your esophagus into your stomach.

Detailed explanation-5: -Fortunately, there’s a band of muscle between the stomach and the esophagus-called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter or L-E-S, that clamps down to prevent the stomach contents from moving or refluxing upward and burning the lining of the esophagus.