philtrum
Sign in to saveAlso known as medial cleft
The philtrum (, from Ancient Greek , lit. 'love charm') or medial cleft is a vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip, common to therian mammals, extending in humans from the nasal septum to the tubercle of the upper lip. Together with a glandular rhinarium and slit-like nostrils, it is believed to constitute the primitive condition for at least therian mammals. Monotremes lack a philtrum, though this could be due to the specialised, beak-like jaws in living species.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Philtrum
- Anatomy.Image
- Baby mouth.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Philtrum of a healthy, one-month-old baby
- Anatomy.Image2
- Dog philtrum.png
- Anatomy.Caption2
- Philtrum of a domestic dog (marked in red)
- Anatomy.Precursor
- Medial nasal prominence
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Dog philtrum.png
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Philtrum
via Wikidata · CC0
~4 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Function
- Development
- Variation
- Society and culture
- See also
- References
The philtrum (, from Ancient Greek , lit. 'love charm') or medial cleft is a vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip, common to therian mammals, extending in humans from the nasal septum to the tubercle of the upper lip. Together with a glandular rhinarium and slit-like nostrils, it is believed to constitute the primitive condition for at least therian mammals. Monotremes lack a philtrum, though this could be due to the specialised, beak-like jaws in living species.
==Function== In most mammals, the philtrum is a narrow groove that may carry dissolved odorants from the rhinarium or nose pad to the vomeronasal organ via ducts inside the mouth.