alleryStart learning →The esophagus penetrates the diaphragm to enter the abdomen through which opening?
AThe lesser omentum
BThe pyloric canal
CThe esophageal hiatus
DThe cardiac notch
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The esophageal hiatus
1. The esophagus is a muscular tube about 25.4 cm long running mainly straight through the thoracic mediastinum.
2. To reach the stomach in the abdomen, it must pass through the diaphragm.
3. It does so through an opening called the esophageal hiatus.
4. The lesser omentum is a peritoneal fold, the pyloric canal is part of the stomach's outlet, and the cardiac notch is a lung feature, none of which is the diaphragmatic opening the esophagus passes through.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 23 "The Digestive System", section 23.3, p. 1104_
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