What is diaphragm in heart?
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Answer:
The Diaphragm. The diaphragm, viewed from above at left with the front of the body on top, is a sheet of muscle and tendon the divides that torso in two. ... The image above features the ribs, sternum and costal cartilages in black with the diaphragm in deep red and the heart in bright red.
The diaphragm is a thin skeletal muscle that sits at the base of the chest and separates the abdomen from the chest. It contracts and flattens when you inhale. This creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of lungs.
It also has some nonrespiratory functions as well. The diaphragm increases abdominal pressure to help the body get rid of vomit, urine, and feces. It also places pressure on the esophagus to prevent acid reflux.
The phrenic nerve, which runs from the neck to the diaphragm, controls the movement of the diaphragm.
There are three large openings in the diaphragm that allow certain structures to pass between the chest and the abdomen.
These openings include the:
Esophageal opening. The esophagus and vagus nerve, which controls much of the digestive system, pass through this opening.
Aortic opening. The aorta, the body’s main artery that transports blood from the heart, passes through the aortic opening. The thoracic duct, a main vessel of the lymphatic system, also passes through this opening.
Caval opening. The inferior vena cava, a large vein that transports blood to the heart, passes through this opening.