Final answer:
A cleft palate is a developmental defect that affects the bony structure separating the nasal and oral cavities. Surgery is required to correct the defect.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cleft palate is a more severe developmental defect that affects the hard palate, which is the bony structure that separates the nasal cavity from the oral cavity.
During embryonic development, the right and left palatine bones fuse together at the midline, forming the hard palate. However, in the case of a cleft palate, the two halves of the hard palate fail to come together and fuse completely, leaving a gap between them, which allows communication between the nasal and oral cavities.
Due to the communication between the oral and nasal cavities, infants with cleft palate find it difficult to generate the suckling needed for nursing, putting them at risk for malnutrition. As a result, surgical repair is required to correct the cleft palate defects.