The levator veli palatini () is a

muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. Muscle tissue gives skeletal muscles the ability to muscle contra ...

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 ...

and

pharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, 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 ...

. It is innervated by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) via its pharyngeal plexus. During swallowing, it contracts, elevating the soft palate to help prevent food from entering the

nasopharynx 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 ...

Structure

The levator veli palatini muscle occurs in the

of the

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

. It forms a sling superior and immediately posterior to the palatine aponeurosis.

Origin

The primary site of origin of the muscle is a quadrangular roughened area upon the medial extremity of the inferior aspect of the

petrous part of the temporal bone The petrous part of the temporal bone is pyramid-shaped and is wedged in at the base of the skull between the sphenoid and occipital bones. Directed medially, forward, and a little upward, it presents a base, an apex, three surfaces, and three ...

; here, the muscle arises by a small tendon. Additional fibres of the muscle arise from the inferior aspect of the cartilaginous part of pharyngotympanic tube, and the vaginal process of sphenoid bone.

Insertion

In the medial third of the soft palate, its fibers spread out between the two strands of the

palatoglossus muscle The palatoglossal muscle is a muscle of the soft palate and an extrinsic muscle of the tongue. Its surface is covered by oral mucosa and forms the visible palatoglossal arch. Structure From its origin, it passes anteroinferiorly and laterally. I ...

to attach to the superior surface of the palatine aponeurosis and intermingle with fibres of its contralateral partner.

Nerve supply

The levator veli palatini muscle receives motor innervation from the vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.

Relations

During its course from its origin to its insertion, the muscle passes medial to the superior margin of the

superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle The superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle is a quadrilateral muscle of the pharynx. It is the uppermost and thinnest of the three pharyngeal constrictors. The muscle is divided into four parts according to its four distincts origins: a pterygop ...

. It lies lateral to the

choana The choanae (: choana), posterior nasal apertures or internal nostrils are two openings found at the back of the nasal passage between the nasal cavity and the pharynx, in humans and other mammals (as well as crocodilians and most skinks). They ...

Actions/movements

The primary action of the muscle is to elevate and draw posterior-ward the nearly vertical posterior portion of the soft palate; thereby, the soft palate is brought into contact with the posterior wall of the pharynx, thus creating a barrier between the nasopharynx and oropharynx. Additionally, the muscle draws the lateral walls of the nasopharynx posteromedially, thus narrowing the nasopharynx.

Function

The levator veli palatini muscle elevates the soft palate during

swallowing Swallowing, also called deglutition or inglutition in scientific and medical contexts, is a physical process of an animal's digestive tract (e.g. that of a human body) that allows for an ingested substance (typically food) to pass from the mou ...

. This helps to prevent food from entering the

. Its action may be slightly slower than its partner, the tensor veli palatini muscle. It has little to no effect on the pharyngotympanic tube.