Letter E

Epiglottis

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The flap that covers the trachea during swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs.

Not everything in medicine is perfectly logical.

The name epiglottis was compounded from 'epi-' and '- glottis' from the Greek 'glotta' meaning 'tongue' since it was once believed that the epiglottis was attached to the tongue!

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