have you ever wondered about this little dangly thing at the back of your throat well even though it looks like a miniature punching bag it actually serves a handful of important functions you see when you swallow food this thing called a uvula actually swings backwards to prevent the food from going up your nose it's also constantly producing saliva to keep the throat moist which AIDS in swallowing and because there's a tiny muscle inside the uula it can move around which helps you speak