What is deglutition?
The action of swallowing food is called deglutition. The epiglottis closes so that the bolus of food moves towards the back of the throat, called the pharynx. The epiglottis thereby blocks the entrance to the larynx, thus preventing the bolus of food from going into the lungs. If food goes into the larynx by mistake, this is what we call food going down the wrong way.

After the bolus of food has been swallowed, it goes down into the oesophagus, which contracts in a series of rhythmic peristaltic waves to move it down to the stomach.

What is the role of saliva here?
At this stage of digestion, saliva protects the mucous membrane covering the digestive tract. At first, swallowing is a voluntary action, meaning that we choose when to swallow our food. However, once the food arrives in the pharynx, the movement is an involuntary reflex, meaning we no longer control it.