Palate, cleft


An opening in the roof of the mouth due to a failure of the palatal shelves to come fully together from either side of the mouth and fuse during the first months of development as an embryo. The opening in the palate permits communication between the nasal passages and the mouth. Surgery is needed to close the palate. Cleft palate can occur alone or in association with cleft lip.

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  • Palate, hard

    The bony part of the roof of the mouth. The hard palate is just in front of the soft palate.

  • Palate, soft

    The muscular part of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is directly behind the hard palate. It lacks bone and so is soft.

  • Palatine

    Anatomically, pertaining to the palate. For example, the palatine bone.

  • Palatine bone

    A bone behind the maxilla which enters into the formation of the hard palate (hence, the name “palatine”), the nasal cavity, and the floor of the orbit.

  • Pale globe

    Also called the globus pallidus, this is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere. Pallidus refers to its pallor relative to the surrounding brain substance. The globus pallidus is specifically part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the […]


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