Anatomy of the ear

•The organ of hearing as well as balance

 Three parts

• External ear
• Middle ear
• Internal ear
• placed in series(?)
• All are located in the
temporal bone
The three parts have different functions
 External ear

• Auricle(pinna) and
• External acoustic meatus
• Auricle is made up of
elastic cartilage and
• Its skin is firmly attached
to the cartilage and
supplied by many sensory
nerves(V,VII,IX,X and
cervical nerves)
 External acoustic
meatus(25mm)
• Outer cartilaginous part
• Inner bony part
• Extends from concha to
the tympanic membrane
• Lined by skin containing
sebaceous glands
(ceruminous glands)
• Auricle to be pulled
upwards,backwards and
laterally to visualize the
meatus and beyond
 Tympanic membrane
• Separates external ear
from middle ear
• Placed obliquely within a
fibrocartilaginous ring
• Its center is drawn
medially by the handle of
the malleus.
•The only structure in the
• This inward convexity is
body derived from all the
called “umbo’ three germ layers!!
 Parts of tympanic membrane

• Pars tensa
• Pars flaccida
• The handle of malleus is
embedded in the mucous
layer.
 5

Cone of light
Otoscopic view
 Pars flaccida

• Attached to the malleus

are two mucosal folds
• Anterior and posterior
malleolar folds
• Between these two folds is
the pars flaccida
• Chorda tympani is closely
related to it

Seen from medial aspect

 Applied aspects
• Incisions are given in the posteroinferior
quadrant
• Cone of light is seen anteroinferiorly
• Upper quadrants are to be avoided because
of chorda tympani.
• What happens if this nerve is injured?
 Middle ear(tympanic cavity,tympanum)

• Parts; middle ear

proper(opposite the
tympanic membrane)
• and epitympanic
recess(above the level
of the tympanic
membrane).
• This contains the head
of malleus and body of
incus
Internal ear projected on the temporal bone
Communications of middle ear
 Boundaries of middle ear
• Roof---tegmen tympani
• Floor---jugular fossa
• Anterior wall– has canal for
tensor tympani,opening of
auditory tube and carotid
canal containing ICA.
 Posterior wall
• Presents
aditus(communicating
with mastoid antrum)
• Canal for facial nerve
• Pyramid transmitting
the tendon of
stapedius
 Medial wall
• Is the lateral aspect of
internal ear
• Features;
• Promontory(1st turn of
cochlea)
• Oval window(fenestra
vestibuli)
• Round window(f.cochleae)
• Impression made by lateral
semicircular canal
• Facial canal
 contents
• Air
• Ear ossicles; malleus,incus and stapes
• Two muscles;tensor tympani,stapedius
• Nerves;chorda tympani and tympanic
plexus (on the promontory)
• Tympanic plexus carries secretomotor
fibres to the parotid gland
 malleus
• Has a
handle(manubrium),
• head and neck
• Tensor tympani is
inserted into the neck
 incus
• Has a body,long
process and a short
process
• Long process is
parallel to the handle
of malleus
 stapes
• Has a head,two
crura(anterior and
posterior)
• And a foot plate which
closes the oval
window
Articulation of ossicles
Mastoid antrum
 Auditory tube
• Also called pharyngo tympanic tube
• Connects the nasopharynx to the anterior wall of the
middle ear
• Equalizes the pressure on both sides of the middle ear
• Infections can spread to the middle ear and mastoid antrum
from the naso pharynx.
review