Editing Palate

{{Short description|Roof of the mouth}}
{{Distinguish|palette (disambiguation){{!}}palette|pallet (disambiguation){{!}}pallet}}
{{For|the restaurant|Palate (restaurant)}}
{{Redirect|Palatal|the phonetics article|Palatal consonant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Palate
| Latin       = palatum
| Image       = Illu01 head neck.jpg
| Caption     = Head and neck.
| Width       = 
| Image2      = 06-06-06palataltori.jpg
| Caption2    = Palate exhibiting [[torus palatinus]]
| Precursor   = 
| System      = 
| Artery      = 
| Vein        = 
| Nerve       = 
| Lymph       = 
}}

The '''palate''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|æ|l|ᵻ|t}}) is the roof of the [[mouth]] in humans and other [[mammal]]s. It separates the [[oral cavity]] from the [[nasal cavity]].<ref name="Wingerd166">
{{cite book
| last = Wingerd
| first = Bruce D.
| title = The Human Body Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology
| publisher = Saunders College Publishing
| year = 1811
| location = Fort Worth
| pages = 166
| isbn = 0-03-055507-8}}</ref> A similar structure is found in [[crocodilian]]s, but in most other [[tetrapod]]s, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separated. The palate is divided into two parts, the anterior, bony [[hard palate]] and the posterior, fleshy [[soft palate]] (or velum).<ref name="Wingerd478">{{cite book
| last = Wingerd
| first = Bruce D.
| title = The Human Body Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology
| publisher = Saunders College Publishing
| year = 1994
| location = Fort Worth
| pages = 478
| isbn = 0-03-055507-8}}</ref><ref name="Gray1172">
{{cite book
| last = Goss
| first = Charles Mayo
| title = Gray's Anatomy
| publisher = Lea & Febiger
| year = 1966
| location = Philadelphia
| pages = 1172
}}</ref>

==Structure==
{{See also|Hard palate|Soft palate}}

===Innervation===
The [[maxillary nerve]] branch of the [[trigeminal nerve]] supplies [[sensory innervation]] to the palate.

===Development===
The hard palate forms before birth.

===Variation===
{{See also|Cleft palate}}
{{See also|Torus palatinus}}
If the fusion is incomplete,  a [[cleft palate]] results.

==Function in humans==
When functioning in conjunction with other parts of the mouth, the palate produces certain sounds, particularly [[velar consonant|velar]], [[palatal consonant|palatal]], [[Palatalization (phonetics)|palatalized]], [[postalveolar consonant|postalveolar]], [[alveolo-palatal consonant|alveolopalatal]], and [[uvular consonant|uvular]] [[consonant]]s.<ref name="Gray1201">
{{cite book
| last = Goss
| first = Charles Mayo
| title = Gray's Anatomy
| publisher = Lea & Febiger
| year = 1966
| location = Philadelphia
| pages = 1201
}}</ref>

==History==
===Etymology===
The [[History of the English language|English]] [[synonyms]] palate and palatum, and also the related adjective palatine (as in [[palatine bone]]), are all from the [[Latin]] ''palatum'' via [[Old French]] ''palat'', words that like their English [[Derivative (linguistics)|derivatives]], refer to the "roof" of the mouth.<ref name=etym-palate>{{cite web|last=Harper|first=Douglas|title=palate (the entry for)|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=palate&searchmode=none|work=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=10 September 2011|quote=palate – late 14c., 'roof of the mouth,' from O.Fr. palat, from L. palatum 'roof of the mouth,' perhaps of [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] origin. Popularly considered the seat of taste, hence transferred meaning 'sense of taste' (1520s).}}</ref>

The Latin word ''palatum'' is of unknown (possibly [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]]) ultimate origin and served also as a source to the Latin word meaning palace, ''[[palatium]]'', from which other senses of [[Palatine (disambiguation)|palatine]] and the English word palace derive, and not the other way round.<ref name=etym-palatine>{{cite web|last=Harper|first=Douglas|title=palatine (the entry for)|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=palatine&searchmode=none|work=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=10 September 2011|quote=palatine (adj.) – mid-15c., from [[Middle French|M.Fr.]] palatin (15c.), from [[Medieval Latin|M.L.]] palatinus 'of the palace' (of the [[Caesar (title)|Caesars]]), from L. palatium (see palace). Used in English to mean '[[Palatine|quasi-royal authority]].' Reference to the [[Palatinate (disambiguation)#Germany|Rhineland state]] is from c.1580.}}</ref>

As the roof of the mouth was once considered the seat of the sense of [[taste]], palate can also refer to this sense itself, as in the phrase "a discriminating palate". By further extension, the flavor of a food (particularly beer or wine) may be called its palate, as when a wine is said to have an [[oak (wine)|oaky]] palate.

==See also==
{{Anatomy-terms}}
*[[Language]]
*[[Vocal tract]]
*[[Pallet]], [[Palette (disambiguation)|palette]] and [[pellet (disambiguation)|pellet]], objects whose names are homophonous with ''palate'' for many English-speakers
*[[Palatability]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book
| last = Saladin
| first = Kenneth
| title = Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function
| publisher = McGraw Hill
| year = 2010
| location = New York
| pages = 256
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Thompson
| first = Gale
| title = World of Anatomy and Physiology
| publisher = Thompson Corporation
| date = 2005–2006
| pages = Palate (Hard and Soft Palate)
}}

{{Mouth anatomy}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Palate| ]]
[[Category:Otorhinolaryngology]]