1. Our OESOPHAGUS (: By : Brina Erh Kong Xinni Eunice Leong Low Hui Ping
Peh Yan Ping

2. What is it ? Did you know ? (:
OESOPHAGUS /food pipe /gullet. 
-the muscular tube that carries food from your mouth
(pharynx) to your stomach.
- it lies between the windpipe (trachea) and spinal cord.
-part of the digestive system.
Did you know ? (:
the length of our oesophagus is around 25-30cm long for most adults .

3. How does the food move down ?
Peristalsis – which is the wave-like movement of muscles contracting and relaxing .
-lined with mucous membrane ;
- deeply lined with muscle that acts with peristaltic action
( to move swallowed food down to the stomach.)‏
Did you know ?
Gravity plays a part too ;
but what how do bats swallow the food while hanging upside down ?

4. Heart burn D:
a.k.a. reflux oesophagitis.
Symptoms :
burning sensations and belching .
-discomfort or pain caused by the stomach contents travelling upwards and up our oesophagus
-not made to withstand acid
-is irritated and inflamed
(when acid from the stomach travels up into it.)‏
Valve ( cardiac sphincter )‏
- keeps the stomach contents from coming back up is faulty .
-thus the acid escapes and causes heart burn

5. Did you know ? (:
heart burn has nothing to do with the heart at all .
-digestive problem
-related to our meals and posture
-most people suffer from it one time or another in their lifetime

6. Cancer of oesophagus ):
-result of cell changes in the lining of the oesophagus
two main types of cancer of the oesophagus:
squamous carcinoma ;
-common at the upper end of the gullet
adenocarcinoma;
-more common at the lower end,
(particularly around the junction between the gullet and the stomach.)‏
Often caused by – drinking and smoking .
Due to diets as well .

7. -an increased risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus
Barrett's oesophagus
-the lining of the gullet changes to being more like the lining of the stomach.
-an increased risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus
-often leads to heartburns .
Symptoms :
-difficulty in swallowing
-pain felt between the shoulder blades
-regurgitating unaltered food a few minutes after having difficulty swallowing the food.
heartburn, vomiting, and vomiting of blood

8. Why is it SOOO important ? (:
Without it ; how can you even pass food down to the stomach ?
Thus the whole digestion process won't even work .
So it is important ! (:
(It's that simple.)‏

9. Summary (: Key terms Oesophagus – (e -so-pha-gus)‏
-the muscular tube that carries food from your mouth (pharynx) to your stomach.
Peristalsis - which is the wave-like movement of muscles contracting and relaxing
Cancer of oesophagus
result of cell changes in the lining of the oesophagus
Heartburn
-discomfort or pain caused by the stomach contents travelling upwards and up our oesophagus
Our digestive system is unable to work unless the functioning of all parts . Thus ; oesophagus is equally important in the digestive system ! (:

10. Thanks (: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagus#Functioning