Soft palate 300558 217016851 2008-06-04T07:03:32Z 67.201.221.251 /* Function */ {{Infobox Anatomy | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Latin = palatum molle, velum palatinum | GraySubject = 242 | GrayPage = 1112 | Image = Tonsils diagram.jpg | Caption = | Image2 = Gray855.png | Caption2 = Lateral wall of nasal cavity. (Soft palate visible in lower right) | Precursor = | System = | Artery = [[lesser palatine arteries]], [[ascending palatine artery]] | Vein = | Nerve = [[pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve]], [[medial pterygoid nerve]], [[lesser palatine nerves]] | Lymph = | MeshName = Soft+Palate | MeshNumber = A14.549.617.780 | DorlandsPre = p_02 | DorlandsSuf = 12607540 | }} The '''soft palate''' (or '''velum''', or '''muscular palate''') is the soft [[biological_tissue|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. ==Function== It is movable, consisting of [[muscle]] fibers sheathed in [[mucous membrane]], and is responsible for closing off the [[Respiratory system|nasal passages]] during the act of [[swallowing]]. and is responsible for closing off the respiratory system. The soft palate's motion during breathing is responsible for the sound of [[snoring]]. Touching the soft palate evokes a strong [[gag reflex]] in most people. The soft palate retracts and elevates 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 the speech to be perceived as hyper nasal. While sneezing it protects nasal passage by diverting a part of substance to be thrown out to mouth. ==Muscles of soft palate== {| class="wikitable" | '''Muscle''' || '''Action''' || '''Nerve''' |- | [[levator veli palatini]] || [[deglutition]] || [[Vagus nerve]] via pharyngeal plexus |- | [[tensor veli palatini]] || [[deglutition]] || [[mandibular nerve]] |- | [[palatoglossus]] || [[Respiration (physiology)|respiration]] || [[Vagus nerve]] via pharyngeal plexus |- | [[palatopharyngeus]] || [[Respiration (physiology)|respiration]] || [[Vagus nerve]] via pharyngeal plexus |- | [[musculus uvulae]] || moves [[palatine uvula|uvula]] || [[Vagus nerve]] via pharyngeal plexus |} ==Additional images== <gallery> Image:Uvula without tonsils.jpg|Soft palate without tonsils (after [[tonsillectomy]]) Image:Illu mouth.jpg|Mouth (oral cavity) Image:Illu03 mouth.jpg|Mouth Image:Gray994.png|Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx. Image:Gray1014.png|The mouth cavity. The cheeks have been slit transversely and the tongue pulled forward. </gallery> ==See also== * [[Hard palate]] * [[Palate]] * [[Tonsil]] * [[Palatine uvula]] ==External links== * {{FPnotebook|DEN4}} * [http://images.webmd.com/images/hw/media65/medical/hw/nd551248.jpg Image at WebMD] * {{SUNYAnatomyFigs|34|01|03}} - "Diagram of the regions of the oral cavity." * {{eMedicineDictionary|Soft+palate}} {{Head and neck general}} [[Category:Mouth]] [[ar:حنك رخو]] [[de:Gaumensegel]] [[es:Úvula]] [[fr:Voile du palais]] [[he:וילון (אנטומיה)]] [[ko:연구개]] [[pt:Palato mole]] [[ru:Мягкое нёбо]] [[sv:Mjuka gommen]]