The structures involved with
the process of swallowing include the tongue,
teeth, epiglottis, and esophagus. The teeth are
used to grind and chop up food into tiny pieces,
while the glands in the mouth moisten the food
with saliva.
In the first stage of swallowing,
the tongue pushes the food into the throat.
In the second stage of swallowing, an important
small flap of tissue called the epiglottis,
folds over the voice box (larynx) at the entrance
to the windpipe (trachea), preventing food from
going down the wrong way. In the final stage,
the esophagus contracts and moves food toward
the stomach.
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