Search Ontology:
Uberon Ontology

upper esophageal sphincter

Term ID
UBERON:0007268
Synonyms
  • pharyngoesophageal sphincter
  • upper esophageal sphincter muscle
  • upper oesophageal sphincter
Definition
The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) (also called the Pharyngoesophageal sphincter) refers to the superior portion of the esophagus. Unlike the lower esophageal sphincter, it consists of striated muscle and is under conscious control. The primary muscle of the UES is the cricopharyngeus portion of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor. During swallowing the upper esophageal sphincter opens so the bolus can pass into the esophagus. A secondary role of the UES is to reduce backflow from the esophagus into the pharynx. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_esophageal_sphincter
References
Ontology
Uberon Ontology
Relationships
has parts
is a type of
Your Input Welcome
We welcome your input and comments. Please use this form to recommend updates to the information in ZFIN. We appreciate as much detail as possible and references as appropriate. We will review your comments promptly.
Please check the highlighted fields and try again.
Thank you for submitting comments. Your input has been emailed to ZFIN curators who may contact you if additional information is required.
Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later.