Esophagus
"Gullet" redirects here. For other uses, see Gullet (disambiguation). Esophagus The digestive tract, with the esophagus marked Details Precursor Foregut System Part of the digestive system Artery oesophageal arteries Vein oesophageal veins Nerve Sympathetic trunk, vagus Identifiers Latin Oesophagus MeSH D004947 TA A05.4.01.001 FMA 7131 Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata] The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English) ( / ɪ ˈ s ɒ f ə ɡ ə s / ), commonly known as the food pipe or gullet (gut) , is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus is a fibromuscular tube, about 25 centimetres long in adults, which travels behind the trachea and heart, passes through the diaphragm and empties into the uppermost region of the stomach. During swallowing, the epiglottis tilts backwards to prevent food from going down th