Hard And Soft Palate Anatomy

Question 1

What is the aponeurotic plate

Answer 1

Where the posterior of the hard palate connects to the soft palate which is purely muscular structure bound by a thick tendinous aponeurosis of the tensor veli palatini muscles on both sides

Question 2

Where is the palatine raphe

Answer 2

Begins just posterior to the incisive papilla and continues posteriorly along the midline

Question 3

What are the ‘folds’ on the palate called

Answer 3

Transverse rugae

Question 4

What is the hard palate comprised of

Answer 4

Bone

Question 5

What is the soft palate composed of

Answer 5

Muscle fibres covered by a mucous membrane

Question 6

What happens to the soft palate during swallowing

Answer 6

It can be elevated to close the pharyngeal isthmus preventing the food bolus from entering the nasopharynx

Question 7

What are the 3 types of oral mucosa

Answer 7

Masticatory
Lining
Specialised mucosa

Question 8

What is the masticatory oral mucosa

Answer 8

Mucosa of the gingiva and palate the bulk of which is firmly bound down directly and tightly to underlying bone (mucoperiosteum) expect for the region at the side of the palate where a submucosa is present

Question 9

What type of lining does the superior aspect of the palate (nasal cavity) consist of

Answer 9

Respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium

Question 10

What type of lining does the inferior aspect of the palate (oral cavity) consist of

Answer 10

Oral mucosa of keratinised stratified squamous epithelium populated by secretory salivary glands

Question 11

What are the 3 main foramina in the hard palate

Answer 11

Incisive foramen
Greater palatine foramen
Lesser palatine foramina

Question 12

What does the incisive foramen transmit

Answer 12

The nasopalatine nerve
Sphenopalatine arteries and veins

Question 13

What does the greater palatine foramen transmit

Answer 13

The anterior (greater) palatine nerve and vessels

Question 14

What does the lesser palatine foramina transmit

Answer 14

The middle and posterior (lesser) palatine nerve and vessels

Question 15

What is the function of the hard palate

Answer 15

In both feeding and speech
Creates a vacuum that forces liquid into the mouth
Tongue essential for creating certain phonetic sounds

Question 16

What is the sensory innervation of the hard palate

Answer 16

Derived from the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V2)

Question 17

What does the greater palatine nerve innervate

Answer 17

Most of the glandular structure of the hard palate

Question 18

What does the nasopalatine nerve innervate

Answer 18

The mucous membrane of the anterior hard palate

Question 19

What does the lesser palatine nerve innervate

Answer 19

The soft palate

Question 20

Where is the hard palates arterial supply

Answer 20

Primarily from the greater palatine arteries which run anteriorly form the greater palatine foramen

Question 21

Where is venous drainage of the hard palate

Answer 21

Into the pterygoid venous plexus

Question 22

What provides the collateral supply to the palate

Answer 22

The anastomosis between the lesser palatine artery and ascending palatine artery

Question 23

What is the anterior hard palate mucosal lining composed of

Answer 23

Mucoperiosteum
Rugae
Incisive papilla

Question 24

What is the posterior hard palate mucosal lining composed of

Answer 24

Periosteum
Submucosa
Minor salivary glands

Question 25

What is the soft palate mucosal lining composed of

Answer 25

Periosteum Submucosa Minor salivary glands Skeletal muscle

Question 26

What is the soft palate comprised of

Answer 26

Muscle fibres covered by a mucous membrane

Question 27

What is the fauces

Answer 27

An area connecting the oral cavity and the pharynx formed by the soft palate

Question 28

What are the 2 arches binding the tongue and pharynx

Answer 28

The palatoglossal arches anteriorly Palatopharyngeal arches posteriorly

Question 29

What lies between the two arches of the soft palate

Answer 29

The palatine tonsils which reside in the tonsillar fossae of the oropharynx either side of the palatopharyngeal wall

Question 30

What happens during speech

Answer 30

Soft palate tenses and elevates back of the tongue presses against the soft palate to produce the velar sound (k,g,n) Closes the communication with the nasal cavity as air escapes the oral cavity

Question 31

What happens during breathing with the soft palate

Answer 31

Depresses touching the root of tongue making sure food doesn’t pass to the oropharynx and gets in the way of exhaled air

Question 32

At happens to the soft palate during swallowing

Answer 32

Palate tenses and helps push food down the digestive tract Palate elevates and closes the way to the nasal cavity

Question 33

What are 4 of the muscles of the soft palate innervated by

Answer 33

The pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X)

Question 34

What is the tensor veli palatini innervated by

Answer 34

The medial pterygoid nerve (a branch of the CN V3)

Question 35

What are the 5 muscles of the soft palate

Answer 35

Tensor veli palatine Palatoglossus Palatopharyngeus Levator veli palatine Musculus uvulae

Question 36

Which 3 muscles aid in swallowing

Answer 36

Tensor veli palatine Palatoglossus Levator veli palatine

Question 37

Which muscle helps in breathing

Answer 37

Palatopharyngeus

Question 38

Which muscle aids in moving the uvula

Answer 38

Musculus uvulae

Question 39

What is the anterior soft palate sensory innervated by

Answer 39

The lesser palatine nerve a branch of the axillary division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V2)

Question 40

What is the posterior sensory part of the soft palate innervated by

Answer 40

The pharyngeal branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and by the plexus around the pharyngeal tonsils formed by the branches of the pharyngeal and lesser palatine nerves

Question 41

What is the motor innervation for the muscles of the soft palate

Answer 41

Pharyngeal plexus derived from the vagus nerve (CN X)

Question 42

What is the innervation of the tensor veli palatini muscle

Answer 42

The medial pterygoid nerve a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve

Question 43

Hat are taste buds innervated by

Answer 43

The greater petrosal nerve a branch of the facial nerve (CN VII)

Question 44

What are mucous glands parasympathetically innervated by

Answer 44

The postganglionic fibres from the otic ganglion which each the soft palate via the lesser petrosal branch of glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 45

Where does the blood supply for ht soft palate come from

Answer 45

Ascending palatine artery a branch of facial artery

Question 46

What is the Velopharyngeal apparatus

Answer 46

A muscular valve which extends from the posterior surface of hard palate to posterior pharyngeal wall incl the velum (soft palate), lateral pharyngeal walls and the posterior pharyngeal wall

Question 47

What is the function of the velopharyngeal

Answer 47

Create a tight seal between the velum and pharyngeal walls - separate the oral and nasal cavities