Muscles of the palate

Question 1

Levator veli palatini

Answer 1

Attachments: from the petrous temporal bone adjacent to the carotid canal & the cartilagenous portion of the auditory tube to the soft palate

Function: elevates the soft palate

Innervation: vagus n. (pharyngeal branch)

Blood supply: ascending palatine, greater palatine & lesser palatine a.

Question 2

Musculus uvulae (L. uva, grape)

Answer 2

Attachments: from the hard palate (horizontal plate of palatine bone) to the uvular mucosa

Function: aids in palatopharyngeal closure

Innervation: vagus n. (pharyngeal branch)

Blood supply: ascending palatine & lesser palatine a.

Question 3

Palatoglossus

Answer 3

Attachments: from the palatine aponeurosis to the lateral aspect of the tongue

Function: elevation of the root of the tongue & approximation of the palatoglossal folds

Innervation: vagus n. (pharyngeal branch)

Blood supply: ascending palatine, ascending pharyngeal & tonsilar a.

Question 4

Palatopharyngeus

Answer 4

Attachments: from posterior hard palate (horizontal plate of palatine bone) and palatine aponeurosis to the wall of the pharynx

Function: elevation of the pharynx & approximation of the palatopharygeal folds

Innervation: vagus n. (pharyngeal branch)

Blood supply: ascending palatine, ascending pharyngeal & tonsilar a.

Question 5

Tensor veli palatini

Answer 5

Attachments: from the scaphoid fossa, cartilage of the auditory tube & spine of the sphenoid to the palatine aponeurosis (after deflecting around the hamulus)

Function: unilateral deviation & bilateral tension of the soft palate

Innervation: mandibular n.

Blood supply: ascending palatine, greater palatine & lesser palatine a.