Soft palate
Palatum molle
DigestiveOrgansHead
- What it is
- Mobile muscular fold covered with mucosa that hangs from the back edge of the hard palate and ends in the uvula; laterally it continues into the palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches.
- Function
- Rises and tenses during swallowing and speech to seal off the nasopharynx so food and air go the right way.
- Size
- About 3 cm long and up to 1 cm thick.
- Clinical note
- If it is paralysed (e.g. vagus nerve injury) fluids regurgitate into the nose and speech sounds nasal; it is also a major site of vibration in snoring.