Soft Palate & Pharynx

Soft Palate

Moveable partition between the oropharynx and nasopharynx, covered by muscle and non-keratinised squamous epithelium, with sensory innervation from the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve.

Levator veli palatini

Muscle originating from auditory tubes and petrous part of the temporal bone, inserting into the palatine aponeurosis, responsible for elevating the soft palate and equalizing pressure in the middle ear, innervated by the Vagus nerve.

Tensor veli palatini

Muscle originating from auditory tubes and sphenoid bone, inserting into the palatine aponeurosis, responsible for tensing the soft palate and equalizing pressure in the middle ear, innervated by the Mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

Palatoglossus

Muscle originating from the palatine aponeurosis, inserting into the posterolateral aspect of the tongue, elevating the tongue and narrowing the oropharyngeal isthmus, innervated by the Vagus nerve.

Palatopharyngeus

Muscle originating from the palatine aponeurosis, inserting into the lateral pharyngeal wall, responsible for elevating the pharynx, innervated by the Vagus nerve.

Pharynx

Fibromuscular tube extending from the base of the skull to the esophagus, serving as a passageway for food and air, with divisions into nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.

Waldeyer’s ring

A ring of lymphoid tissue guarding the entrance of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.

Pharyngeal plexus

Located on the outer wall of the constrictor muscles, consisting of sensory fibers from the glossopharyngeal nerve, motor fibers from the vagus nerve, and sympathetic fibers, serving various functions related to the pharynx.