Palate

Palate

The Palate is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A palate is divided into two parts, the anterior, bony hard palate, and the posterior, fleshy soft palate (or velum).

Structure

The palate is divided into two parts: the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate (or velum).

Hard Palate

The hard palate is formed by the palatine process of the maxilla (palatine bone) and horizontal plate of palatine bone. It forms a barrier between the oral and nasal cavities and supports the nasal and oral cavities.

Soft Palate

The soft 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.

Clinical significance

Cleft Palate

A cleft palate is a condition in which the two plates of the skull that form the hard palate are not completely joined. The soft palate is in these cases cleft as well. In most cases, a cleft lip is also present.

Palatine Tonsils

The palatine tonsils are located in the isthmus of the fauces, between the palatine arches. These tonsils are named for their close proximity to the palatine bones.

See also

• Oral anatomy
• Cleft lip and cleft palate
• Palatine uvula

References

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Palate

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