Everything about The Philtrum totally explained
The
philtrum (
Greek philtron, from
philein, "to love; to kiss"), also known as the
infranasal depression, is the vertical
groove in the
upper lip, formed where the
nasomedial and
maxillary processes meet during
embryonic development.
The philtrum allows humans to express a much larger range of lip motions that would otherwise be impossible, which enhances vocal and
non-verbal communication.
Pathology
When these processes fail to fuse fully, a
cleft lip (sometimes called a "hare lip", or "meermeer") can result.
A flattened or smooth philtrum can be a symptom of
Fetal alcohol syndrome.
Etymology
The
ancient Greeks used to believe that the philtrum was one of the most
erogenous spots on the human body, hence the
etymology.
Mythology
According to the
Jewish Talmud (
Niddah 30b), God sends an
angel to each womb and teaches a baby all the
wisdom that can be obtained. Just before the unborn baby comes out, the angel touches it between the upper lip and the nose and all that it has taught the baby is forgotten.
Commentaries on this particular story can be found in "What the Angel Taught you" by
Rabbi Noah Weinberg and
Yaakov Salomon (ISBN 1-57819-134-3).
Similarly, in other folksayings, it's said that an angel "shushes" the baby in the womb, to stop it from talking about heaven, or to forget. Other stories say that it's an indent left by the finger of God. Still more say that it's the spot where the angel put his finger to "shush" the child after having told it a secret. (This was memorably referenced in the film
The Prophecy by the arch-angel
Gabriel (
Christopher Walken).)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Philtrum'.
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