SOFT PALATE*. 307 



* 



This pendulous portion is the vertical or inferior part, 

 while above, the soft palate is extended backward on a 

 level with the hard, forming what is called its horizontal 

 portion, and thus increasing the palatine arch. 



The velum palati is a membranous valve separating the 

 mouth from the pharynx and posterior nares, and, in fact, 

 acts the part of a double F IG . 



valve. In deglutition, this 

 velum is raised and applied 

 to the posterior nares, to pre- 

 vent the food from passing in 

 this direction when entering 

 the pharynx, and after the 

 food has entered the pharynx 

 it falls down into its original 

 position, and prevents the 

 return of the food into the cavity of the mouth. The velum 

 presents a broad, quadrilateral shape, and has two sur- 

 faces the one looking towards the tongue the lingual; 

 the other towards the nose the nasal surface. The lin- 

 gual surface presents, along its middle, a white line, called 

 the raphe ; and from the centre of the velum there is seen 

 a depending portion called the uvula, which divides it into 

 two lateral halves. In the raphe is situated that congeni- 

 tal division of the velum called cleft palate. On either 

 side of the uvula the velum presents two lateral curvatures, 

 an anterior and posterior, called the anterior and posterior 

 lateral half arches. The anterior half arches proceed from 

 the base of the uvula, outward, having their concavit} r 

 downward to the sides of the tongue. The posterior half 

 arches, proceeding also from the uvula, pass downward 

 and backward to the sides of the pharynx. The space 

 between the anterior and posterior half arches is called 

 the fauces, and is occupied by the tonsils. The opening 



FIG. 88 represents the muscles of the Soft Palate, a Roof of the mouth ; 

 b b Levator palate ; c Cuneiform portion of the sphenoid ; d d Eustachian 

 tubes; t Circumflexus, or tensor palati muscle ;/ Azygos uvula; gg Palato 

 pharyngeus. 



