Chapter 31 – Soft Palate and Pharynx

These 15 question-and-answer flashcards review key anatomical structures and functional roles of the soft palate and pharynx as discussed in Chapter 31.

What anatomical structure forms the posterior end of the roof of the mouth?

The soft palate.

Name the three parts of the pharynx.

Nasal pharynx, oral pharynx, and laryngeal pharynx.

How many pairs of muscles are located in the soft palate?

Five pairs of muscles.

List two main functions of the soft-palate muscles during swallowing.

They move the soft palate up and back to close off the nasal cavity and narrow the fauces.

Which muscle elevates the posterior end of the soft palate?

Levator veli palatini.

Which muscle tenses the anterior portion of the soft palate and opens the auditory tube?

Tensor veli palatini.

During speech, which muscles primarily pull the soft palate up and back?

Levator veli palatini and the muscles of the uvula.

What speech characteristic occurs when the soft palate does not seal against the posterior pharyngeal wall?

Speech acquires a nasal (hypernasal) quality.

What common lymphoid enlargement can interfere with soft-palate adaptation and cause nasal speech?

Enlarged adenoids.

During the first stage of swallowing, what movement does the tongue make?

The tongue moves up and back.

After the tongue elevates, into which area is the food bolus shifted?

Into the oral pharyngeal area.

What action does the posterior end of the soft palate perform as the bolus enters the pharynx?

It raises to contact the posterior pharyngeal wall.

What is the fauces, and what happens to it during swallowing?

The fauces is the space between the palatine tonsils, and it narrows when the soft-palate muscles contract.

Which specific muscle action helps equalize middle-ear pressure by opening the auditory (Eustachian) tube?

Contraction of the tensor veli palatini.

What is the combined role of pharyngeal elevators and dilators during swallowing?

They lift and widen the pharynx to receive the food bolus.