Question

At the superior end of the esophagus, the superior esophageal sphincter is a thickened ring of ______ muscle marking the area where the esophagus and the pharynx meet.

Answer 1

The superior esophageal sphincter is a muscular ring that separates the pharynx from the esophagus, has voluntary activity and is responsible for initiating swallowing.

What is the superior esophageal sphincter?

It is located immediately after the pyriform sinuses, it is a muscular ring located in the high pressure area between the pharynx and the esophagus.

This prevents the passage of air into the digestive tract during inspiration and the reflux of gastric material into the pharynx, relaxing to open the esophagus.

In order for a muscle-building athlete to keep muscles in good shape, it is necessary to synthesize more muscle protein than is consumed, which is known as nitrogen balance..

Therefore, we can conclude that the superior esophageal sphincter is a muscular ring that separates the pharynx from the esophagus, has voluntary activity and is responsible for initiating swallowing.

Learn more about esophagus here: brainly.com/question/14762195