Why do we have to contract our throat when swallowing water? I mean it could just slide right down to our tummies.
In: 205
Because the contraction in the throat does more than just “squeeze the food down!”
The esophagus, the tube food and liquid go down, is actually closed and the top contracted in its “at rest” state. The trachea (breathing tube) is naturally open.
When we swallow, muscles contract to lift up your voice box and close off the breathing tube, and this lifting and contracting action also opens the esophagus, which allows the food/liquid to pass through.
Fun fact: because the esophagus is normally closed, opening that tube actually creates a negative pressure that sucks the bolus (medical term for what you’re swallowing) into the esophagus!
TL;DR: If the muscles didn’t contract, the esophagus wouldn’t open and the water would just sit in your throat, and possibly fall into your breathing tube, causing you to cough.
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