92 



THE SKELETON. 



Orbital process. 



Orbital surface. 



Maxillary surface. 



Superior meatus 

 Spheno-palatine foramen 



Maxillary 

 process. 



dicular plate almost at right angles. The internal border, the thickest, is serrated 

 for articulation with its fellow of the opposite side ; its superior edge is raised into 

 a ridge, which, united with the opposite bone, forms a crest in which the vomer is 

 received. 



The Vertical Plate (Fig. 58) is thin, of an oblong form, and directed upward 

 and a little inward. It presents two surfaces, an external and an internal, and 

 four borders. 



The internal surface presents at its lower part a broad, shallow depression, 

 which forms part of the inferior meatus of the nose. Immediately above this 



is a well-marked horizontal 

 ridge, the inferior turbinated 

 crest, for articulation with the 

 inferior turbinated bone ; 

 above this, a second broad, 

 shallow depression, which 

 forms part of the middle mea- 

 tus, surmounted above by a 

 horizontal ridge less promi- 

 nent than the inferior, the 

 superior turbinated crest, for 

 articulation with the middle 

 turbinated bone. Above the 

 superior turbinated crest is a 

 narrow, horizontal groove, 

 which forms part of the su- 

 perior meatus. 



The external surface is 

 rough and irregular through- 

 out the greater part of its 

 extent, for articulation with 

 the inner surface of the su- 

 perior maxillary bone, its upper and back part being smooth where it enters into 

 the formation of the spheno-maxillary fossa; it is also smooth in front, where it 

 covers the orifice of the antrum. Toward the back part of this surface is a deep 

 groove, converted into a canal, the posterior 

 palatine, by its articulation *with the supe- 

 rior maxillary bone. It transmits the pos- 

 terior or descending palatine vessels and 

 one of the descending palatin^ branches 

 from Meckel's ganglion. 



The anterior border is thin, irregular, 

 and presents, opposite the inferior turbi- 

 nated crest, a pointed, projecting lamina, 

 the maxillary process, which is directed 

 forward, and closes in the lower and back 

 part of the opening of the antrum. The 

 posterior border (Fig. 59) presents a deep 

 groove, the edges of which are serrated for 

 articulation with the pterygoid process of 

 the sphenoid. At the lower part of this 

 border is seen a pyramidal process of bone, 

 the pterygoid process or tuberosity of the 

 palate, which is received into the angular 

 interval between the two pterygoid plates 

 of the sphenoid at their inferior extremity. 

 This process presents at its back part a 

 median groove and two lateral surfaces. 



Horizontal Plate. 



FIG. 58. Left palate bone. Internal view. (Enlarged.) 



Orbital process, 

 surface. 



Sphenoidal palatine 

 foramen. 



Sphenoidal process. 

 Articular portion. 

 Non-articular portion. 



External Surface. 



'AZYQOS UVUL* 



Horizontal 

 Plate. 



FIG. 59. Left palate bone. Posterior view. 

 (Enlarged.) 



The groove is smooth, and forms part 



