I think what you are referring to is what we call the "gag reflex." When the soft palate is stimulated (we test this by touching the soft palate with a Q-tip) the person's palate elevates and the tongue retracts - they gag.
There are two cranial nerves involved in this - the 9th or glossopharyngeal which is part sensory and picks up the stimulus then activates the stylopharyngeus muscle which is only one involved in elevating the palate, and the 10th or vagus which works most of the muscles about the mouth and neck including the palatopharyngeus and salpingopharyngeus muscles which according to my understanding are the ones involved in gagging. There are other muscles which open the eustachian tubes (when you clear your ears) - the tensor veli palatini and levator palatini. Speech and singing involve other muscles in the throat. But that's probably more than you wanted to know.
When singing, we use the palate elevators to lift the palate. The earlier question about why the palate elevates when the cheeks are pulled may be due simply to traction of the muscles of chewing on the adjacent palatal muscles but I really don't think one can get real palatal elevation this way.
John
John Messmer, M.D. Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine Penn State Hershey Medical Center
> -----Original Message----- > From: Steve Fraser <Steve.Fraser@j...> > [mailto:Steve.Fraser@j...] > Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 11:43 AM > To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [vocalist] Re: soft palate > > Soooo. To the Physicians out there in list land. What is the 'Soft > Palate Reflex'? > > Best Regards, > > Steven Fraser
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