The palatine bone is a thin, L-shaped paired bone of the viscerocranium that primarily participates in the formation of the hard palate (together with the maxilla). Therefore, it contributes to the formation of several cavities situated within the skull - the oral cavity (posterior part of the roof), the nasal cavity (floor and the lateral wall), and the bony orbit (floor). Additionally, it also participates in forming the pterygopalatine fossa, as well as the medial wall of the maxillary sinus.