Question

Posterior part of soft palate, hangs down in pharynx is called as
a) Palatine
b) Tonsils
c) Velum Palati
d) Jacobson's organ

Answer 1

Hint:The Palate is the roof of the oral cavity. It consists of the hard and soft palate. Hard is the anterior part and soft is the posterior part. Hard palate helps in mastication and soft palate helps in deglutition.

Complete answer :
Alimentary canal brings about digestion of food (Alimentare -nutrition). It consists of Mouth, Pharynx, Oesophagus, Stomach, Small intestine and Large intestine.

The Mouth consists of the Teeth and the Tongue. It brings about mastication of food. Mouth is known as the oral or buccal cavity. (Buccal cavity is due to Buccinator muscles that are muscles of mastication). The roof of the oral cavity is made up of palate. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.Palate consists of hard and soft palate. Hard palate is the anterior part and soft palate is the posterior part.

Anterior part is hard so that it helps during mastication. It is made up of bone. Posterior part is soft as it helps in deglutition (swallowing). It is made up of muscles. Anterior and Posterior parts are connected by palatine aponeurosis. This is a fibrous lamella. This supports the muscles and gives strength to the soft palate.

The posterior part of pharynx extends as Velum palati (Velum means soft palate). It is also known as Palatum molle. It is an incomplete septum between mouth and oropharynx and between oropharynx and nasopharynx. The levator veli and Tensor veli muscles are attached to this septum. These muscles are important as it elevates the palate and occludes the nasal cavity so that food enters the oral cavity directly. This membrane further extends as a conical projection called the Uvula.

Thus the Correct answer is option ‘C’ i.e Velum Palati.

Tonsils are lymph nodes present in the Pharynx. Jacobson’s organs are parts of the Olfactory system. It is present in amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

Note: Uvula is the conical extension and Velum palati is the membrane. Both help in the deglutition process.