Corpus: Palatine uvula
from Latin: uva - grape and palatum - palate
1. Definition
The palatine uvula is a cone-shaped soft tissue extension of the soft palate, located centrally at the posterior edge of the palatine velum.
2. Anatomy
The uvula hangs freely in the isthmus faucium (throat passage) and is covered by a mucous membrane. It contains touch receptors that can trigger the gag reflex. The movement of the uvula is controlled by the uvular muscle, which, when contracted, stiffens and shortens the uvula.
3. Function
The uvula has several important roles, including detecting foreign objects, closing off the nasopharynx during swallowing to prevent food from entering the nasal cavity, and contributing to speech, especially in languages with pronounced throat sounds, such as Arabic.
4. Clinic
Inflammation of the uvula, called uvulitis, can result from throat infections, mechanical irritation, or severe vomiting, and is often accompanied by uvular swelling (edema).
A bifid uvula, or split uvula, is the mildest form of cleft lip and palate.
In cases of a unilateral injury to the vagus nerve or glossopharyngeal nerve, the uvula may deviate towards the healthy side during the gag reflex or when speaking, a phenomenon known as uvular deviation.