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The structures involved with the process of swallowing include
the tongue, teeth, epiglottis, and esophagus.
The teeth are used to grind and chop up food into tiny pieces,
while the glands in the mouth moisten the food with saliva. In the
first stage of swallowing, the tongue pushes the food into the
throat. In the second stage of swallowing, an important small flap
of tissue called the epiglottis, folds over the voice box (larynx)
at the entrance to the windpipe (trachea), preventing food from
going down the wrong way. In the final stage, the esophagus
contracts and moves food toward the stomach.
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