Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Peristaltic contractions push food to the stomach even when upside down. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a human body fact?

Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Food travels down the oesophagus using muscular waves

Peristaltic contractions push food to the stomach even when upside down

Swallowing triggers rhythmic muscular contractions along the oesophagus known as peristalsis. Circular and longitudinal muscle layers contract in coordinated waves, propelling food towards the stomach regardless of gravity, allowing people to swallow while hanging upside down.

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: digestion, oesophagus, muscles

Food travels down the oesophagus using muscular waves: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Peristaltic contractions push food to the stomach even when upside down. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?: Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.