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Encyclopedia > Soft palate

The soft palate, or velum, is the soft tissue comprising the back of the roof of the mouth. It is movable, consisting of muscle fibers sheathed in mucous membrane, and is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during the act of swallowing. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone. Biological tissue is a group of cells that perform a similar function. ... Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular: mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, and are involved in absorption and secretion. ... The respiratory system is the biological system of any organism that engages in gas exchange. ... Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the reflex in the human body that makes something pass from the mouth, through the esophagus. ... The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. ...


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. Snoring is the act of breathing through the open mouth in such a way as to cause a vibration of the uvula and soft palate, thus giving rise to a sound which may vary from a soft noise to a loud unpleasant sound. ... The gag reflex is a reflex contraction of the back of the throat that prevents objects from entering the throat except as part of normal swallowing. ...


See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
Cleft Lip and Palate (Jan.1998) (2462 words)
The levator veli palatini is the primary elevator of the palate.
Clefts of the secondary palate are due to lack of fusion of the palatal shelves, and always occur posterior to the incisive foramen.
In palatal clefts, the muscles of the soft palate are hypoplastic and insert in the posterior margin of the remaining hard palate rather than the midline raphe.
Palate - MSN Encarta (187 words)
Palate, roof of the mouth, consisting of two portions, the hard palate in front and the soft palate behind.
The soft palate is a movable fold of mucous membrane enclosing muscular fibres; its sides blend with the pharynx, but its lower border is free.
It is suspended from the rear of the hard palate so as to form an incomplete wall or division between the mouth and the pharynx that, in swallowing, is raised to close the entrance to the nasal passages.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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