Hard palate

Hard palate
Mouth (oral cavity)
Upper respiratory system, with hard palate labeled at right.
Details
Latin	palatum durum
Artery	greater palatine artery
Nerve	greater palatine nerve, nasopalatine nerve
Identifiers
MeSH	A02.835.232.781.324.502.660
Dorlands /Elsevier	p_02/12607528
TA
TH	{{#property:P1694}}
TE	{{#property:P1693}}
FMA	{{#property:P1402}}
Anatomical terminology [[[d:|edit on Wikidata]]]

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It is formed by the palatine process of the maxilla and horizontal plate of palatine bone, and spans the arch formed by the upper teeth.

Structure

The hard palate is formed by the palatine process of the maxilla and horizontal plate of palatine bone. It forms a partition between the nasal passages and the mouth. On the anterior portion of the roof of the hard palate are the rugae, irregular ridges in the mucous membrane that help facilitate the movement of food backwards towards the pharynx. This partition is continued deeper into the mouth by a fleshy extension called the soft palate.

Function

The hard palate is important for feeding and speech. Mammals with a defective hard palate may die shortly after birth due to inability to suckle (see Cleft palate below). It is also involved in mastication in many species. The interaction between the tongue and the hard palate is essential in the formation of certain speech sounds, notably /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /j/, and /ɟ/.

Clinical significance

Cleft palate

In the birth defect called cleft palate, the left and right portions of this plate are not joined, forming a gap between the mouth and nasal passage (a related defect affecting the face is cleft lip).

While cleft palate has a severe impact upon the ability to nurse and speak, it is now successfully treated through reconstructive surgical procedures at an early age, where such procedures are available.

Palatal abscesses

The proximity of the dento-alveolar process explains the forming of palatal abscesses and the palatal mucosa and submucosa with its numerous glands and the squamous keratinized epithelium is in correlation with the rich tumoral pathology.

Additional images

• 

  Mouth

• 

  The bony palate and alveolar arch.

• Gray187.png

  Base of skull. Inferior surface.

• Gray194.png

  Sagittal section of skull.

• Gray196.png

  Roof, floor, and lateral wall of left nasal cavity.

• 

  Nerves of septum of nose. Right side.

• 

  Lateral wall of nasal cavity.

• 

  Coronal section of nasal cavities.

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  Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx.

See also

• Electropalatograph
• Head and neck anatomy
• Maxilla
• Palate
• Soft palate

External links

• Anatomy diagram: 25420.000-1 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier