MUSCLES OF PALATE. 663 



contact with the posterior wall of the pharynx, it can shut off the 

 upper part of that cavity, as in vocalisation, when the air is pre- 

 vented from passing through the nose. 



The TENSOR or CIRCUMFLEXUS PALATI (fig. 233, B ; 234 2 ) is a thin Tensor 

 flattened muscle, lying immediately behind the internal pterygoid musc1 ' 

 plate. About an inch wide at its origin, it is attached to the 

 scaphoid fossa at the root of the internal pterygoid plate, to the arises 

 outer side of the Eustachian tube, and to the spinous process of 

 the sphenoid. The fleshy fibres end below in a tendon, which 

 turns round the hamular process, and is inserted into a ridge close inserted into 

 to the posterior border of the hard palate, and blends inferiorly &&*** 

 with the apoueurosis of the velum. palate; 



The fleshy part of the tensor palati is placed between the internal relations; 



FIG. 234. 



1. Azygos uvulae. 4. Palato - pharyngeus upper 



2. Tensor paJati. end. 



3. Levator palati. 5. External pterygoid. 



pterygoid muscle externally and the Eustachian tube and levator 

 palati internally. The tendon enters the pharynx between the 

 attachments of the buccinator muscle, and is thrown into folds as 

 it winds round the hamular process, a bursa being placed between 

 the two. In the soft palate it lies between the palato-pharyngeus 

 and palato-glossus. 



Action. Acting from the skull the muscle will h'x and make 

 tense the soft palate ; but its movements will be very limited, 

 seeing that the tendon is inserted partly into the palate bone. 



The soft palate being fixed by its depressor muscles, the tensor, on tube. 

 taking its fixed point below, opens the Eustachian tube in 

 swallowing. 



The PALATO-GLOSSUS MUSCLE (constrictor isthrni faucium) is a 

 small, pale band of fibres, which is contained in the anterior pillar 

 (fig. 233, i) of the soft palate. It is connected below with the side of 



