Hard Palate
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Overview
The hard palate (palatum durum) forms the rostral roof of the oral cavity. It merges caudally with the soft palate where a connective tissue aponeurosis replaces the bone.
Structure and Function
The bony shelf of palatine processes of the incisive, maxillary and palatine bones. Failure of the palatine bones to fuse results in cleft palate.
There are 6-8 fixed transverse ridges to direct food caudally. The hard palate is flat and has incisive papilla (small median swelling) behind the incisive teeth and smaller papillae ducts branching to the nasal cavity and vomeronasal organ.
Species Differences
Herbivores
Herbivores have a more heavily keratinised hard palate.
Feline
Felines have short a hard palate.
Links
Click here for the Pathology of Cleft Palate and hard palate histology.