Arteries.—The arteries which supply the esophagus are the esophageal, which are branches from the aorta.
Veins.—The esophageal veins empty into the ascending vena cava.
The Diaphragm.
—The diaphragm (a partition wall) is a dense, muscular, fibrous septum, placed obliquely across the trunk. It separates the thoracic from the abdominal cavity, forming the floor of the thoracic and the roof of the abdominal cavity.
It is attached in front to the ensiform process of the sternum, on the sides to the inner surface of the cartilages and bony portions of six or seven inferior ribs, and behind it is attached to the lumbar vertebrae.
The diaphragm has three openings, as follows: opening for the esophagus, opening for the aorta, opening for the ascending vena cava.
The diaphragm is the principal muscle of respiration.
The arteries which supply the diaphragm are the phrenic arteries.
The phrenic veins receive the blood from the diaphragm.