palatum

Palatum is the Latin word for the palate, the structure that forms the roof of the oral cavity. In humans and many mammals, the palate consists of two parts: the hard palate toward the front and the soft palate toward the back. The hard palate provides a rigid surface against which the tongue can press during speech and chewing, while the soft palate closes off the nasal passages during swallowing.

The hard palate is a bony partition composed of the palatine processes of the maxilla and the horizontal plates of the palatine bones. It is covered by mucosa and features ridges called palatal rugae. The soft palate, or velum, is a muscular extension that ends in the uvula; it elevates and tenses to regulate airflow and to seal the nasopharynx during swallowing and phonation.

Nerve supply and circulation: the hard palate is innervated by the nasopalatine nerve and the greater palatine nerves, branches of the maxillary division (V2) of the trigeminal nerve. Its arterial supply is primarily via the greater palatine artery, with contributions from adjacent vessels. The soft palate shares the same nerve supply and vascular sources.

Clinical relevance: congenital defects such as cleft palate affect both hard and soft palate regions and can impair feeding, speech, and nasal regurgitation. Treatment typically involves multidisciplinary surgical repair and adjunctive therapies to restore form and function.