Mucosa
The mucosa of the oesophagus is thrown into folds at rest; when distended by food boluses, the folds disappear as the wall flattens. The layers of the mucosa are, from inside to outermost:
- mucosa:
- non-keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium
- at gastro-oesophageal junction, merges with simple columnar epithelium of stomach
- connective tissue: forms papillae which project into lumen
- muscularis mucosae:
- increases in thickness from proximal to distal
- contains:
- smooth muscle bundles that increase in number to the gastro-oesophageal junction
- mucus-secreting oesophageal glands which open by a duct onto the mucosa
- lymphoid follicles
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