The musculus uvulae (also muscle of uvula, uvular muscle, or palatouvularis muscle) is a bilaterally muscle of the

soft palate The soft palate (also known as the velum, palatal velum, or muscular palate) is, in mammals, the soft biological tissue, tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is part of the palate of the mouth; the other part is ...

(one of five such muscles) that acts to shorten the uvula when both muscles contract. It forms most of the mass of the uvula. It is innervated by the pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve (cranial nerve X).

Anatomy

The muscle is situated in between the two laminae of the palatine aponeurosis. From its origin, it passes posterior-ward superior to the swing that is formed by the levator veli palatini muscle. The musculus uvulae and levator veli palatini muscle form a right angle so that their contraction elevates the levator eminence to aid in separating the

oral cavity A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also the first part of the alime ...

and the

oropharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...

Origin

The muscle arises from the posterior nasal spine of the

palatine bone In anatomy, the palatine bones (; derived from the Latin ''palatum'') are two irregular bones of the facial skeleton in many animal species, located above the uvula in the throat. Together with the maxilla, they comprise the hard palate. Stru ...

, and the (superior aspect of the) palatine aponeurosis.

Insertion

The muscle inserts into the

mucous membrane A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It ...

of the uvula.

Vasculature

The muscle receives arterial blood from the ascending palatine artery, and the

descending palatine artery The descending palatine artery is a branch of the third part of the maxillary artery supplying the hard and soft palate. Course It descends through the greater palatine canal with the greater and lesser palatine branches of the pterygopalatine gan ...

Actions/movements

Bilateral contraction of the two muscles shortens the uvula. It also elevates and retracts the uvula. Unilateral contraction draws the uvula ipsilaterally.

Function

By retracting the uvula and thickening the middle portion of the soft palate, the muscle assist the levator veli palatini in separating the

and the

References

{{Authority control Human mouth anatomy Palate Muscles of the head and neck