What is the name of the roof of the mouth towards the back?

The roof of the mouth towards the back is referred to as the soft palate. The soft palate is a muscular extension of the hard palate, which is located at the front of the mouth. It plays a crucial role in various functions such as speech and swallowing. The soft palate helps close off the nasal passages during these activities, preventing food and liquid from entering the nasal cavity. This anatomical structure is located at the back of the oral cavity and is more flexible than the hard palate, allowing it to move during speech and swallowing.

In contrast, the hard palate is the bony front portion of the roof of the mouth, while the gum line refers to the area where the gums meet the teeth, and the oral cavity is the overall space within the mouth, encompassing all of these structures. Understanding the role and location of the soft palate is important in anatomy, especially when considering its functions in bodily processes.