how does it affect swallowing?
During swallowing, the epiglottis bends backwards, folding over the entrance to the trachea, and preventing food from going into it.
Epiglottis
During swallowing, the epiglottis bends backwards, folding over the entrance to the trachea, and preventing food from going into it.
what is the purpose of the epiglottis in the respiratory system of humans It prevents food from entering the windpipe and the lungs what are its variations? A high-rising epiglottis is a normal anatomical variation, visible during an examination of the mouth. It does not cause any serious problem apart from maybe a mild sensation of a foreign body in the throat. does it play any role in speaking? In some languages, the epiglottis is used to produce epiglottal consonant speech sounds, though this sound-type is rather rare.
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Epiglottis [SEP] Swallowing
During swallowing, the epiglottis bends backwards, folding over the entrance to the trachea, and preventing food from going into it. The folding backwards is a complex movement the causes of which are not completely understood. It is likely that during swallowing the hyoid bone and the larynx move upwards and forwards, which increases passive pressure from the back of the tongue; because the aryepiglottic muscles contract; because of the passive weight of the food pushing down; and because of contraction of laryngeal and because of contraction of thyroarytenoid muscles. The consequence of this is that during swallowing the bent epiglottis blocks off the trachea, preventing food from going into it; food instead travels down the esophagus, which is behind it.