| Soft palate | |
|---|---|
| Lateral wall of nasal cavity. (Soft palate visible in lower right) | |
| Latin | palatum molle, velum palatinum |
| Gray's | subject #242 1112 |
| Artery | lesser palatine arteries, ascending palatine artery |
| Nerve | pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve, medial pterygoid nerve, lesser palatine nerves |
| MeSH | Soft+Palate |
| Code | TA A05.1.01.104 TA A05.2.01.003 |
The soft palate (also known as velum or muscular palate) is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone.
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The soft palate is movable, consisting of muscle fibers sheathed in mucous membrane. It is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during the act of swallowing, and also for closing off the airway. During sneezing, it protects the nasal passage by diverting a portion of the excreted substance to the mouth.
The uvula hangs from the end of the soft palate. Research shows that the uvula is not actually involved in snoring processes. This has been shown through inconsistent results from uvula removal surgery. Snoring is more closely associated with fat deposition in the pharynx, enlarged tonsils of Waldeyer's Ring, or deviated septum problems. Touching the uvula or the end of the soft palate evokes a strong gag reflex in most people.
A speech sound made with the middle part of the tongue (dorsum) touching the soft palate is known as a velar consonant.
It is possible for the soft palate to retract and elevate during speech to separate the oral cavity (mouth) from the nasal cavity in order to produce the oral speech sounds. If this separation is incomplete, air escapes through the nose, causing speech to be perceived as nasal.
•Tensor veli palatani
•Palato glossal
•Palato pharyngeal
•Levator veli palatani
•Musculus uvulae
The muscle of the soft palate play important roles in swallowing and breathing.
Levator veli palatani and tensor veli palatani are the two muscles involved in elevating the soft palate during swallowing.
Pathology of the soft palate includes mucosal lesions such as pemphigus vulgaris, herpangina and migratory stomatitis,[1] and muscular conditions such as the congenital cleft palate and cleft uvula.
Petechiae on the soft palate are mainly associated with streptococcal pharyngitis,[2] and as such it is an uncommon but highly specific finding.[3] 10 to 30 percent of palatal petechiae cases are estimated to be caused by suction, which can be habitual or secondary to fellatio.[4]
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