What Muscle Elevates the Soft Palate When Swallowing

The levator veli palatini muscle emerges from the eustachian tube and the petrous temporal bone before attaching to the palatine aponeurosis, this muscle functions to elevate the soft palate during swallowing to prevent the entry of food into the nasopharynx.

Which muscle elevates soft palate above the neutral position?

MuscleOriginFunctionLevator veli palatini Lies deep to the tensor palatiniPetrous part of the temporal bone anterior to opening for the carotid canalOnly muscle to elevate the soft palate above the neutral position

Which muscle elevates the tongue and depresses the soft palate?

The palatoglossus muscle functions to close off the oral cavity from the oropharynx by elevating the posterior tongue and drawing the soft palate inferiorly. It attaches superiorly to the palatine aponeurosis and inferiorly to the side of the tongue.