 |
| Image credit: commons.m.wikimedia.org |
Of course, it is not possible for us to eat and Breathe at the same time but why we can't breathe and eat at the same time? Does we stop breathing while eating?
Let's know,
Because if we try to do, the air we breathe will take our food along with it inside the lungs and this would almost certainly lead to a horrific, suffocating, painful death.
Food-pipe (esophagus) and windpipe (trachea) are located in close proximity to each other and share a common passageway at the back of our mouths. Thus, we can both eat and breathe through your mouth.
As we swallow, the food/drink do not know the right way down. So, they will go down any pipe that is open, either in the food pipe or in the windpipe or in both.
To prevent food from going down the wrong pipe, our lovely nature has provided us with a flap called epiglottis. Epiglottis stands atop the windpipe, guarding its opening.
As the tongue pushes the food into the throat to swallow, contraction of various muscles in the area causes the uvula to lift up to block nasal passages and the epiglottis to push down to close the entrance of the windpipe. As this time all airways are sealed shut and breathing is temporarily inhibited or stopped.
This sealing of airways ensures that food goes into the food-pipe. Once the food is swallowed, the muscles in the throat relax, the uvula and the epiglottis open the nasal passages and windpipe, and the breathing resumes regularly as it was.
This is reason due to which, we can't breathe the air and eat or drink something at the same time.
Comment your questions which you want to be answered.
