velum
-includes the soft palate and the uvula, begins where the palatine bone ends
-muscular hydrostat; connected anteriorly to bone but the velum itself is only muscle and connective tissue
-has 4 layers vertically; top to bottom: connective tissue/tendon, front to back muscles, side to side muscles, glandular tissue (visible through the oral cavity)
-the middle is the most muscle rich and makes contact with the pharyngeal wall during contraction in a knee-like motion
-no muscle fibers in the front and very few in the uvula
