THE SOFT PALATE 49 



beneath the mucous membrane, to become inserted into the 

 thyroid cartilage. 

 The Azygos-uvulce. There are two of these small muscles which 

 run longitudinally in the soft palate, from its free to its attached 

 border. 

 T/ie Levator-palati. This is a long delicate muscle which arises 

 from the styloid process of the petrous temporal bone. It 

 runs along the wall of the pharynx beneath the mucous 

 membrane, and is inserted with the palato-pharyngeus. 

 The Tensor-palati. This is more powerful than the preceding 

 muscle with which it arises. Its tendon plays round the 

 hamular process of the pterygoid bone, and then curves 

 inwardly to be inserted into the fibrous aponeurosis. The 

 action of each of the last two muscles is indicated by the 

 name. 

 4. The Vessels and Nerves. The soft palate has a free nerve and 

 blood-supply, the latter coming from the staphyline and 

 pharyngeal arteries and the former from the superior maxillary 

 division of the fifth nerve, and from Meckel's ganglion. The 

 staphyline nerve, which is chiefly derived from this sensory 

 division of the fifth, is capable of sensory and motor functions, 

 owing to the motor fibres which it receives from Meckel's 

 ganglion, which has a motor-supply from the seventh 

 nerve. 

 During the act of deglutition the soft palate is raised and made tense 

 by the contraction of the levator and tensor palati muscles, so that the 

 isthmus of the fauces is not merely an aperture, but becomes an 

 elongated tube, the roof of which is formed by the anterior face of 

 the palate, and the floor by the root of the tongue. 



