Palate

From EncycloWine

The palate is the roof of the mouth in humans. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior bony hard palate, and the posterior fleshy soft palate or velum. The name is probably derived from the Latin palatum.

Hard palate

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth. It forms a partition between the nasal passages and the mouth. This partition is continued deeper into the mouth by a fleshy extension called the soft palate.

Soft palate

The soft palate (or velum, or muscular palate), is the soft tissue comprising the back of the roof of the mouth. It is movable, consisting of muscle fibers sheathed in mucous membrane, and is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during the act of swallowing. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone.