Talking about eating and breathing simultaneously (as I often do it) got me to thinking about that amazing piece of anatomy I introduced in the last blog: the epiglottis! This little flap not only works mechanically, but it's also triggered by the brain.
To demonstrate, look at the circled regions in my drawing of a child's head. On the left, the epiglottis is in a position that allows access to both the food/liquid (esophagus) AND the airway (trachea) pipes. On the right, when you swallow, the flap shuts over the opening to the airway, thereby preventing the contents in the mouth from entering the airway!
SO, the question is, can anyone guess how I accidentally on many occasion choke on my food/drink?
To demonstrate, look at the circled regions in my drawing of a child's head. On the left, the epiglottis is in a position that allows access to both the food/liquid (esophagus) AND the airway (trachea) pipes. On the right, when you swallow, the flap shuts over the opening to the airway, thereby preventing the contents in the mouth from entering the airway!
SO, the question is, can anyone guess how I accidentally on many occasion choke on my food/drink?
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