Levator veli palatini
Head & throat
Deep muscle — it lies under other muscles. X-ray makes the muscles over it see-through.
- Origin
- Petrous part of the temporal bone and the cartilage of the auditory tube
- Insertion
- Palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate, blending with the muscle of the other side
- Action
- Raises the soft palate
- Nerve supply
- Pharyngeal plexus of the vagus nerve (CN X)
It lifts the soft palate during swallowing and speech, sealing the nasal cavity off from the mouth so that food and air do not escape through the nose.
Levator veli palatini anatomy page →