SOFT PALATE
- Soft palate
- movable muscular fold
- suspended from roof of mouth
- posterior border of hard palate
- separates nasopharynx from oropharynx
- surfaces
- anterior ( oral surface)
- concave
- marked by a median raphe
- posterior
- convex
- continuous superiorly with
- floor or nasal cavity
- borders
- superior
- attached to posterior border of hard palate
- blending on each side with pharynx
- inferior
- free
- from middle
- hangs a conical projection
- uvula
- each side of base of uvula
- two curved folds of mucous membrane extend laterally and downward
- anterior fold
- palatoglossal arch or anterior pillar of fauces
- palatoglossus muscle
- forms the lateral boundary of oropharyngeal isthmus or isthmus of fauces
- posterior fold
- palatopharyngeal arch or posterior pillar of fauces
- contains palatopharyngeus muscle
- forms posterior boundary of tonsillar fossa
- merges inferiorly with lateral wall of pharynx
- Structure
- it is a fold of mucous membrane
- parts
- palatine aponeurosis
- flattened tendon of tensor veli palatini
- forms fibrous basis of palate
- near median plane aponeurosis splits to enclose
- musculus uvulae
- superior surface
- Levator veli palatini and palatine aponeurosis lie on this surface
- inferior or anterior surface
- palatoglossus muscle
- numerous glands and some taste buds are present
- Muscles of soft palate
- Tensor palati ( tensor veli palatini )
- Levator palati ( Levator Veli palatini )
- Musculus Uvulae
- Palatoglossus
- Palatopharyngeus
- Nerve supply
- All muscles of soft palate except tensor veli palatini
- pharyngeal plexus
- derived from cranial part of accessory nerve through vagus
- tensor veli palatini supplied by
- mandibular nerve
- General sensory nerves
- middle and posterior lesser palatine nerves
- branches of maxillary nerve
- through pterygopalatine ganglion
- glossopharyngeal nerve
- Special sensory or gustatory nerves
- taste sensations from oral surface
- PASSAVANT'S RIDGE