Have you ever wondered what that tear drop-shaped thing dangling in the back of your throat is? Well, it’s called a palatine uvula and it’s actually pretty important, even though you can live without it. This small piece of flesh that hangs from our soft palate actually does play a major role in how our voices sound and our risk for sleep apnea, among other things.

We know saliva is an all too important function of oral health, so the places where it’s produced should also be considered important. While our salivary glands, which are located on our cheeks, at the bottom of our mouth, and front of our teeth, are responsible for 2 to 4 pints of saliva a day, our uvula is also responsible for its own kind of saliva.

When muscle fibers in the uvula contract while speaking or swallowing, it produces saliva that keeps our throats well lubricated while doing either activity. In addition to saliva production, the uvula, along with the soft palate and tonsils, are also part of the mouth’s first line of defense against viruses and bacteria. Unfortunately, the uvula tends to become swollen if its immune cells are unable to fight off the infection and this can be pretty painful.

Click on the video to have Hank Green from SciShow explain more about your uvula.