Palate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palate
Head and neck.
Palate exhibiting torus palatinus.
Latin	palatum
Gray's	subject #242 1112
MeSH	Palate
Dorlands/Elsevier	p_02/12607517

The palate (pronounced /ˈpælɨt/) is the roof of the mouth in humans and vertebrate animals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum. The maxillary nerve branch of the trigeminal nerve (V) supplies sensory innervation to the palate.

[edit] Etymology

The name is Middle English and is probably derived from the Latin palatum or the Old French palat.

[edit] Function

When functioning in conjunction with other parts of the mouth the palate produces certain sounds, particularly velar, palatal, palatalized, postalveolar, alveolo-palatal, and uvular consonants.

[edit] See also

• Hard palate
• Soft palate
• Cleft palate
• Language
• Vocal tract
• pallet and palette, objects whose names are homophonous with palate for many English-speakers

v • d • e General anatomy of head and neck - head Face/Occiput Forehead • Eye (Orbit/Periorbita, Trochlea)  • Ear • Temple • Cheek • Chin • Scalp Nose External nose Nostril • Nasal septum • cartilages (of the septum, Greater alar, Lesser alar, Lateral nasal, Accessory nasal, Vomeronasal)  • Olfactory glands Nasal cavity Nasal concha • Sphenoethmoidal recess • Ethmoid bulla • Semilunar hiatus • Maxillary hiatus • Inferior meatus • Vomeronasal organ • Paranasal sinuses Naso-pharynx Choana - Pharyngeal opening of auditory tube (Salpingopharyngeal fold, Salpingopalatine fold, Torus tubarius) - Pharyngeal tonsil - Pharyngeal recess Mouth/oral cavity Palate/roof of mouth Hard palate • Soft palate • Palatine raphe • Incisive papilla Tongue dorsum (Taste bud, Median sulcus, Terminal sulcus, Foramen cecum, Lingual tonsils) • opposite dorsum (Frenulum, Plica fimbriata, Sublingual caruncle) • Anterior • Posterior • Glossoepiglottic folds Teeth Permanent (Incisor, Canine, Premolar, Molar)  • Deciduous Oro-pharynx arches/fauces (Palatoglossal, Palatopharyngeal) • Oropharyngeal isthmus • Palatine tonsil • Uvula Salivary glands Parotid gland/Parotid duct • Submandibular gland/Submandibular duct • Sublingual gland/Major sublingual duct Other Lip (Upper, Lower) • Philtrum • Pterygomandibular raphe • Vestibule of mouth Fascia Masseteric fascia - Temporal fascia - Galea aponeurotica