Abstract
The purpose of the present paper is to consider the architectur of the esophagus from the viewpoint of the functional anatomy. The studies are carried out anatomically, histologically and embryologically on the following these concerning to the muscle coat of esophagus: The correlative relation between the circular and longitudinal muscle layer, the relative quantity and its change of the striated and smooth musculature, the coarse of the muscular bundle in different portion of the esophagus, the arrangement of the muscular bundles as a superioresophageal sphincter, state of muscular coat at the inferior part of esohagus (so-called inferior sphincter), nerve supply to the esophageal muscle coat with particular reference to the accommodation of the myenteric plexus of Auerbach. The findings of these researches and the functional meaning of these results are discussed, then the author inclined to have come to the conclusion that the muscle coat of the esophagus is of double origin and each of the portions has its peculiar function: the upper or striated portion is derived from the pharyngeal muscle and has function to push down the food rapidly, while the lower or nonstriated portion arises from the essential muscle coat of the gut and has a role to lead the food slowly into the stomach.
