The palate is one of the parts of the body of the human being and of many animals that is located inside the mouth and whose function is to separate the nasal cavity from the oral cavity to allow the process of food or food that is consumed. .
Part of the body of animals and humans that is inside the mouth and performs important functions such as allowing feeding
The palate is the upper part of the oral cavity that generally presents a certain hardness or rigidity and that can be reached by the tongue when it is moved upwards.
The palate can be divided into two parts: the anterior part or the hard palate (made of bone) and the posterior section or the soft palate.
Hard palate and soft palate. Characteristics
The hard palate is made up of two types of bones: the maxilla and the palatine bone, which are covered by a mucous membrane, while the maxilla also makes up the upper jaw. The plates of the palatine bones form both the floor of the nose and the back of the palate. And the vertical plates of these bones make up the nasal cavity.
For its part, the white palate is covered by epithelial tissue, which is a type of tissue present in our body and that is responsible for covering both internal and external surfaces. It provides protection to certain parts, produces secretions and regulates materials close to it. The uvula, which is a mass that hangs in the middle of this palate, helps to prevent what is eaten from going directly through the breathing passage.
Among the most important functions of both stand out: separating the oral cavity from the nose, it helps to breathe and chew at the same time, it also helps to sing.
Formation in the maternal womb and complications of its development
These palates develop in the very mother’s womb when the fetus grows there. Approximately begins in the fifth week. An incorrect formation can happen that happens to five hundred thousand babies according to a statistic.
The cause is unknown at this time, although a combination of environmental elements as well as inherited genetic traits is put forward, and it can be corrected with surgery once the child is born.
When the palate fails to form adequately in a person (this condition being evident at the birth of the child and not being able to be generated later), we are in the presence of that oral disorder known as cleft lip, which means complications of different types for the process of food or food intake. This is so since cleft lip means that the oral and nasal cavities are not correctly divided and therefore food can easily pass from the mouth to the nose.
Together with the tongue, tonsils, teeth, and uvula, the palate forms what is known as the oral cavity or mouth, the space through which the feeding process begins as it is the place through which food is inserted into the mouth. organism.
The palate is made up of an endless number of nerve endings that make it an irregular surface to the touch and somewhat greasy or moist due to the presence of different natural fats and saliva, elements that both collaborate in the first stages of digestion. The palate generally presents, like the tongue, a pink or reddish color, other types of colors being an indication of some type of condition.
But the concept also has other uses in our language, of a symbolic nature, which precisely derive from its original reference.
Taste with which food flavors are perceived and sensitivity when evaluating something
Thus, the concept allows us to indicate the taste with which the flavor of food is perceived.
“María has a very fine palate, she doesn’t like unprepared food”, “my palate is never wrong, this food has a lot of added salt”.
And we also use it frequently to account for the sensitivity to discern or value something.
“My son has an excellent palate for music.”
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