Reference Terms
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Esophagus
The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/œsophagus), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the mouth area to the stomach. The esophagus is continuous with the laryngeal part of the pharynx at the level of the C6 vertebra. Food is passed through the esophagus by using the process of peristalsis. Specifically, in mammals, it connects the pharynx, which is the body cavity that is common to the digestive system and respiratory system behind the mouth (buccal cavity), with the stomach, where the second stage of digestion is initiated (the first stage of digestion is in the mouth, with teeth and tongue masticating food and mixing it with saliva).
The esophagus is lined with mucous membrane, and is more deeply lined with muscle that acts with peristaltic action to move swallowed food down to the stomach.
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Health & Medicine News
August 10, 2026
Aug. 10, 2026 An experimental GLP-1 pill helped people with obesity or overweight lose as much as 12.1% of their body weight in just 36 weeks. Unlike injectable drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, aleniglipron is a small molecule that can be taken once daily with ...
Aug. 10, 2026 Very high levels of the inherited cholesterol-related particle Lp(a) were linked to a greater risk of major cardiovascular events, particularly stroke and cardiovascular death, in a study of more than 20,000 people. Since elevated Lp(a) often flies ...
Aug. 9, 2026 A daily glass of 100% fruit juice or a smoothie may help improve more than just fruit intake. In a small four-week trial, participants who added one to a healthier diet showed significantly lower depression scores, hinting that a simple dietary ...
Aug. 9, 2026 Just a couple of hours of strength training each week could have surprisingly powerful effects on longevity. People who lifted weights for around 90 to 120 minutes weekly had a 13% lower risk of dying early, with especially large reductions in ...
Aug. 9, 2026 Frequent cannabis users may wake up with unusually high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggesting their daily stress rhythms could be disrupted. Researchers say the finding raises questions ...
Aug. 9, 2026 Full-fat dairy may be healthier than conventional advice has suggested. In a 12-week study, adults who ate three servings a day showed no meaningful increases in weight, body fat, cholesterol, or ...
Aug. 9, 2026 A study tracking more than 340,000 adults for over a decade found that heavy drinking increased the risk of death regardless of beverage type. At lower levels, however, the picture became more surprising: beer, cider, and spirits were linked to ...
Aug. 8, 2026 An intensive seven-day meditation retreat triggered striking changes across the brain and body, including shifts tied to neuroplasticity, immunity, metabolism, and natural pain relief. Participants also showed brain connectivity patterns resembling ...
Aug. 8, 2026 Getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week may offer only modest protection against heart attacks and strokes. A large study suggests that substantially greater benefits may require roughly 560 to 610 minutes a ...
Aug. 8, 2026 A protein that evolved long before the human circulatory system may help unlock stronger cancer treatments. When C3 is produced inside tumors, it blocks immune-suppressing cells and gives immunotherapy a better chance to work. Researchers were even ...
Aug. 8, 2026 Changing how much sweet-tasting food people eat may not change how much they crave or enjoy sweetness after all. In a six-month trial, researchers found that people assigned to high-, low-, or average-sweetness diets showed no meaningful differences ...
Aug. 7, 2026 Teens who start using cannabis may experience slower growth in memory, attention, language, and processing speed. Their abilities often developed normally at first, then began leveling off while nonusers continued improving. THC appeared to be the ...
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Aug. 7, 2026 Linus Pauling was widely mocked for claiming that vitamin C could fight cancer, especially after trials using vitamin C pills showed no benefit. Researchers now know that intravenous vitamin C ...
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Aug. 7, 2026 A ten-month Antarctic experiment found that astronauts may struggle not only with loneliness but also with spending too much time around the same ...
Aug. 7, 2026 A new wearable patch may help people reach REM sleep faster and remain there longer without medication or surgery. In a study of 28 participants, the device shortened the time to REM by 43 minutes ...
Aug. 6, 2026 Beginning around age 50, the brain’s memory center appears to lose many of its longtime immune cells and replace them with more inflammatory ones. This surprising shift may help explain how normal ...
Aug. 6, 2026 A long-term brain study found that common risks such as smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high blood lipids were strongly linked to damage associated with vascular dementia. The ...
Aug. 6, 2026 Genetic changes may set off a chain reaction that causes the spine’s natural shock absorbers to harden and deteriorate. Zebrafish with a faulty collagen-related gene developed mineral buildup and ...
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Aug. 5, 2026 A prescription form of THC helped many people with PTSD escape recurring trauma-related nightmares, with more than one-third reporting that the ...
Aug. 5, 2026 A simple change in posture may subtly affect how people feel and make decisions. Participants who sat upright reported greater feelings of pride and took more successful risks in a virtual balloon ...