Review article: oesophageal mucosal resistance.

The human oesophagus is lined by a moist, partially keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium, one important property of which is to serve as a barrier between the outside (luminal) world and the internal world of the organism. This phenomenon in clinical parlance is known as 'oesophageal mucosal resistance'. This article details the structure and functions of the oesophageal mucosa that contribute to its defence against injury upon exposure to refluxed gastric acid.