Anatomy of Soft Palate

1. V.S.RASHMI PRIYEM
ULTRA’S BEST DENTAL SCIENCE COLLEGE

2.  THE SOFT PALATE IS A MOBILE MUSCULAR
FLAP.
 HANGS DOWN FROM THE POSTERIOR BORDER
OF THE HARD PALATE INTO THE PHARYNGEAL
CAVITY LIKE A CURTAIN OR VELUM.
 SEPARATES THE NASOPHARYNX FROM
OROPHARYNX.

3.  1. ANTERIOR SURFACE IS CONCAVE AND
MARKED BY A MEDIAN RAPHE.
 2. POSTERIOR SURFACE IS CONVEX AND
CONTINUOUS WITH THE FLOOR OF THE NASAL
CAVITY.
 3. SUPERIOR BORDER IS ATTACHED TO THE
POSTERIOR BORDER OF THE HARD PALATE.
 4. INFERIOR BORDER IS FREE AND FORMS THE
ANTERIOR BOUNDARY OF THE PHARYNGEAL
ISTHMUS. A CONICAL, SMALL, TONGUE-LIKE
PROJECTION HANGING DOWN FROM ITS
MIDDLE IS CALLED UVULA.

8.  ON EACH SIDE FROM THE BASE OF UVULA,
TWO CURVED FOLDS OF MUCOUS MEMBRANE
EXTEND LATERALLY AND DOWNWARDS:
 PALATOGLOSSAL FOLD
 PALATOPHARYNGEAL FOLD

9.  THE ANTERIOR FOLD MERGES INFERIORLY
WITH THE SIDE OF THE TONGUE (AT THE
JUNCTION OF ORAL AND PHARYNGEAL PARTS)
AND IS KNOWN AS PALATOGLOSSAL FOLD.
 THE PALATOGLOSSAL FOLD CONTAINS THE
PALATOGLOSSUS MUSCLE.
 FORMS THE LATERAL BOUNDARY OF THE
OROPHARYNGEAL ISTHMUS.

10.  THE POSTERIOR FOLD MERGES INFERIORLY
WITH THE LATERAL WALL OF THE PHARYNX
AND IS KNOWN AS PALATOPHARYNGEAL FOLD.
 THE PALATOPHARYNGEAL FOLD CONTAINS
PALATOPHARYNGEUS MUSCLE.
 FORMS THE POSTERIOR BOUNDARY OF THE
TONSILLAR FOSSA.

11.  THE SOFT PALATE IS MADE UP OF A FOLD OF
MUCOUS MEMBRANE ENCLOSING FIVE PAIRS
OF MUSCLES.

12.  THE NASAL SURFACE OF THE SOFT PALATE IS
COVERED BY PSEUDOSTRATIFIED CILIATED
COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM EXCEPT
POSTERIORLY, WHICH IS LINED BY NON-
KERATINIZED STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS
EPITHELIUM.
 THE ORAL SURFACE OF THE SOFT PALATE IS
THICKER AND LINED BY NON-KERATINIZED
STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM.

13.  THE SUBMUCOSA ON BOTH THE SURFACES
CONTAIN MUCOUS GLANDS, PLENTY AROUND
THE UVULA AND ON THE ORAL ASPECT OF THE
SOFT PALATE.
 THE MUCOSA ON THE ORAL SURFACE OF THE
SOFT PALATE ALSO CONTAINS SOME TASTE
BUDS AND LYMPHOID FOLLICLES.

14.  CONSISTS OF THE FIVE PAIRS OF MUSCLES.
 1. TENSOR PALATI (TENSOR VELI PALATINI)
 2. LEVATOR PALATI (LEVATOR VELI PALATINI)
 3. PALATOGLOSSUS
 4. PALATOPHARYNGEUS
 5. MUSCULUS UVULAE
 ALL THE MUSCLES OF SOFT PALATE ARE
EXTRINSIC EXCEPT MUSCULUS UVULAE,
WHICH ARE INTRINSIC.

17.  1. SEPARATES THE OROPHARYNX FROM NASOPHARYNX
DURING SWALLOWING SO THAT FOOD DOES NOT
ENTER THE NOSE.
 2. ISOLATES THE ORAL CAVITY FROM OROPHARYNX
DURING CHEWING SO THAT BREATHING IS NOT
AFFECTED.
 3. HELPS TO MODIFY THE QUALITY OF VOICE, BY
VARYING THE DEGREE OF CLOSURE OF THE
PHARYNGEAL ISTHMUS.
 4. PROTECTS THE DAMAGE OF NASAL MUCOSA DURING
SNEEZING, BY APPROPRIATELY DIVIDING AND
DIRECTING THE BLAST OF AIR THROUGH BOTH NASAL
AND ORAL CAVITIES.
 5. PREVENTS THE ENTRY OF SPUTUM INTO NOSE
DURING COUGHING BY DIRECTING IT INTO THE ORAL
CAVITY.

18.  1. LESSER PALATINE BRANCHES OF THE
MAXILLARY ARTERY
 2. ASCENDING PALATINE BRANCH OF THE
FACIAL ARTERY
 3. PALATINE BRANCHES OF THE ASCENDING
PHARYNGEAL ARTERY

19.  PHARYNGEAL VENOUS PLEXUS
 PTERYGOID VENOUS PLEXUS

20.  RETROPHARYNGEAL LYMPH NODES
 UPPER DEEP CERVICAL LYMPH NODES

21.  MOTOR SUPPLY:
 ALL THE MUSCLES OF SOFT PALATE ARE SUPPLIED
BY THE CRANIAL ROOT OF ACCESSORY NERVE VIA
PHARYNGEAL PLEXUS.
 EXCEPT TENSOR PALATI, WHICH IS SUPPLIED BY
THE NERVE TO MEDIAL PTERYGOID, A BRANCH OF
THE MANDIBULAR NERVE.

22.  SENSORY SUPPLY:
 LESSER PALATINE NERVES TO THE MAXILLARY
DIVISION OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE VIA
PTERYGOPALATINE GANGLION.
 GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NERVE.

23.  DUE TO LESION OF VAGUS NERVE.
 PRODUCES:
 (A) NASAL REGURGITATION OF LIQUIDS.
 (B) NASAL TWANG IN VOICE.
 (C) FLATTENING OF THE PALATAL ARCH ON THE
SIDE OF THE LESION.
 (D) DEVIATION OF UVULA, OPPOSITE TO THE SIDE
OF THE LESION.

25.  A PROTECTIVE REFLEX CHARACTERIZED BY THE
ELEVATION OF THE PALATE AND CONTRACTION OF
THE PHARYNGEAL MUSCLES.
 IN RESPONSE TO STIMULATION OF THE MUCOUS
MEMBRANE OF THE OROPHARYNX.
 IT OCCURS WHEN THE PALATE, TONSIL,
POSTERIOR PART OF THE TONGUE, OR POSTERIOR
PHARYNGEAL WALL ARE TOUCHED BY UNFAMILIAR
OBJECTS SUCH AS SWAB, SPATULA, ETC.
 AFFERENT LIMB OF THE REFLEX IS PROVIDED BY
THE GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NERVE.
 EFFERENT LIMB OF THE REFLEX IS PROVIDED BY
THE VAGUS NERVE.