Final answer:
During development, a cleft palate occurs when the horizontal plates of the palatine bones and the palatine processes of the maxillae do not meet and fuse along the midline of the hard palate.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cleft palate forms during development when there is a failure in the fusion of certain skull bones. Specifically, the condition occurs when the horizontal plates of the palatine bones and the palatine processes of the maxillae fail to meet and fuse along the midline of the hard palate.
The hard palate is an essential bony structure that separates the nasal cavity from the oral cavity, and its formation is crucial for separating these two cavities. A cleft palate results in an opening that allows communication between the oral and nasal cavities, leading to difficulties with suckling in infants and potential malnutrition unless surgically corrected.