palatopharyngeal muscle

palatopharyngeal muscle definition - medical

palatopharyngeal muscle

noun
A muscle that forms the posterior pillar of the fauces, with origin from the soft palate, with insertion into the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage and the aponeurosis of the pharynx, with nerve supply from the pharyngeal plexus, and whose action narrows the fauces, depresses the soft palate, and elevates the pharynx and the larynx.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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