THE HUMAN EAR

Three Major Section of the Ear

Introduction

The ears are paired sensory organs comprising
1. the auditory system, involved in the detection of
sound, and
2.the vestibular system, involved with maintaining
body balance/ equilibrium.

The ear divides anatomically and functionally into three
regions: the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner
ear. All three regions are involved in hearing.

Only the inner ear functions in the vestibular system.
Anatomy of the Ear
The external ear (or pinna, the part you can see)
serves to protect the tympanic membrane
(eardrum),
collects and directs sound waves through the
auditory canal to the eardrum.
About 3 cm. long, the canal contains modified sweat
glands that secrete cerumen, or earwax.
Too much cerumen can block sound transmission.
Anatomy of the Ear
The middle ear, separated from the external ear
by the eardrum, is an air-filled cavity (tympanic
cavity) carved out of the temporal bone.
It connects to the throat/nasopharynx via the
Eustachian tube.
This ear-throat connection makes the ear susceptible to
infection (otitis media).
The eustachian tube functions to equalize air pressure on
both sides of the eardrum.
Normally the walls of the tube are collapsed. Swallowing and
chewing actions open the tube to allow air in or out, as
needed for equalization.
Equalizing air pressure ensures that the eardrum vibrates
maximally when struck by sound waves.
Tympanic Membrane
The eardrum separates the
outer ear from the middle ear
Creates a barrier that protects
the middle and inner areas
from foreign objects
Cone-shaped in appearance
about 17.5 mm in diameter
The eardrum vibrates in
response to sound pressure
waves.
The membrane movement is
incredibly small
as little as one-billionth of a
centimeter
Anatomy of the Ear
Adjoining the eardrum are three linked, movable
bones called "ossicles," which convert the
sound waves striking the eardrum into
mechanical vibrations.
The smallest bones in the human body, the
ossicles are named for their shape.
The hammer (malleus) joins the inside of the eardrum.
The anvil (incus), the middle bone, connects to the hammer
and to the stirrup (stapes).
The base of the stirrup, the footplate, fills the oval window
which leads to the inner ear.
Anatomy of the Ear
Ossicles
Malleus

Incus

Stapes

Anatomy of the Ear
Anterior Surface of
Malleus

Posterior Surface of
Malleus

Penny Penny
Source: http://www.ghorayeb.com/PicturesEar.html
Anatomy of the Ear
Stapes is the smallest
bone in the human
body.
It consists of:
a capitulum (head)
a neck,
two crura (anterior and
posterior)
and a footplate.
The head neck and
crura form the
stapedial arch.


Source: http://www.ghorayeb.com/PicturesEar.html
Anatomy of the Ear
Lateral surface of the Incus

Medial surface of the Incus

Source: http://www.ghorayeb.com/PicturesEar.html
Anatomy of the Ear
The inner ear consists of a maze
of fluid-filled tubes, running
through the temporal bone of the
skull.
The bony tubes, the bony labyrinth,
are filled with a fluid called
perilymph.
Within this bony labyrinth is a
second series of delicate cellular
tubes, called the membranous
labyrinth, filled with the fluid called
endolymph.
This membranous labyrinth contains
the actual hearing cells, the hair
cells of the organ of Corti.
Anatomy of
the Ear
There are three major
sections of the bony
labyrinth:
The front portion is the snail-
shaped cochlea, which
functions in hearing.
The rear part, the semicircular
canals, helps maintain
balance.
Interconnecting the cochlea and
the semicircular canals is the
vestibule, containing the sense
organs responsible for balance,
the utricle and saccule.

Anatomy of the
Ear
The inner ear has two membrane-covered
outlets into the air-filled middle ear - the oval
window and the round window.
The oval window sits immediately behind the
stapes, the third middle ear bone, and begins
vibrating when "struck" by the stapes.
This sets the fluid of the inner ear sloshing back
and forth. The round window serves as a
pressure valve, bulging outward as fluid pressure
rises in the inner ear.
Nerve impulses generated in the inner ear travel
along the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve
VIII), which leads to the brain. (acoustic or
auditory nerve)
This is actually two nerves, somewhat joined
together, the cochlear nerve for hearing and the
vestibular nerve for equilibrium.
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ap1502
Ligaments of Middle Ear
Function
restrict and confine
the effect of ossicles
to act as a lever
restrict movements to
reduce the chance of
damage to the inner
ear
prevents distortion to
sound
How We Hear
The Auditory System
All sounds (music, voice, a mouse-click, etc.)
send out vibrations, or sound waves.
Sound waves do not travel in a vacuum, but rather
require a medium for sound transmission, e.g. air or
fluid.
What actually travels are alternating successions of
increased pressure in the medium, followed by
decreased pressure.
These vibrations occur at various frequencies, not all
of which the human ear can hear.
Only those frequencies ranging from 20 to 20,000
Hz (Hz = hertz = cycles/sec) can be perceived.
In hearing, air-borne sound waves funnel down through the ear
canal and strike the eardrum, causing it to vibrate.
The vibrations are passed to the small bones of the middle ear
(ossicles), which form a system of interlinked mechanical levers:
1. First, vibrations pass to the malleus (hammer), which
pushes the incus (anvil), which pushes the stapes (stirrup).
2. The base of the stapes rocks in and out against the oval
window - this is the entrance for the vibrations.
3. The stapes agitates the perilymph of the bony labyrinth. At
this point, the vibrations become fluid-borne.
4. The perilymph, in turn, transmits the vibrations to the
endolymph of the membranous labyrinth and, thence, to the
hair cells of the organ of Corti.
5. It is the movement of these hair cells which convert the
vibrations into nerve impulses.
6. The round window dissipates the pressure generated by
the fluid vibrations, thus serves as the release valve: It can
push out or expand as needed.
7. The nerve impulses travel over the cochlear nerve to the
auditory cortex of the brain, which interprets the impulses
as sound.
Web Links
Ear Over View
http://www.cochlea.org/en/spe/ear-overview.html
Perception of Sound
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/noise_education/web/ENG_EPD_HTML/m1/intro_2.html#oe
Structure of the Cochlea
http://www.cochlea.org/en/spe/cochlea-overview.html
Online sound games
http://www.exploratorium.edu/listen/online_try.php
Phantom Word Sounds
http://www.philomel.com/phantom_words/example_phantom_words.php
Binaural Effects & Musical Illusions
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys1240/phys1240_fa05/sounds/binaural/binaural.html
Close up drawing of ear parts
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html
Animation of how ear works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jyxhozq89g
Hearing and the Cochlea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5gyQf2gVvA&safe=active
Game on parts of ear
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=AP1502
Sense of Hearing Animation
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=AP14204
Organ of Corti Animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=xMUl5CCoW6Y&
NR=1
Organ of Corti
Anatomy of the Ear
Movement of vibrational energy
through the cochlea inside a coil of the cochlea
Source: http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/hearing/guide/info-hearing.htm
Cochlear Implant
How We Balance The Vestibular System
How We Balance
The Vestibular System
The semicircular canals and vestibule function to sense
movement (acceleration and deceleration) and static position.
The three semicircular canals lie perpendicular to each other, one to
sense movement in each of the 3 spatial planes.
At the base of the canals are movement hair cells, collectively called
the crista ampullaris.
Depending on the plane of movement, the endolymph flowing
within the semicircular canals stimulates the appropriate movement
hair cells.
Static head position is sensed by the vestibule, specifically, its
utricle and saccule, which contain the position hair cells.
Different head positions produce different gravity effects on these
hair cells.
Small calcium carbonate particles (otoliths) are the ultimate
stimulants for the position hair cells.
Cupula

Ampulla

Hair cells

The three semicircular canals have swellings, called
ampullae, and within each ampulla is the sense organ,
called the crista.

In the cristae the hairs of the hair cells are embedded in
a gelatinous mass, called the cupula, which extends
across the ampulla

How We Balance
The Vestibular System
The hair cells for both position and movement
create nerve impulses.
These impulses travel over the vestibular nerve
to synapse in the brain stem, cerebellum, and
spinal cord.
No definite connections to the cerebral cortex
exist. Instead, the impulses produce reflex
actions to produce the corrective response.
For example, a sudden loss of balance creates
endolymph movement in the semicircular canals
that triggers leg or arm reflex movements to
restore balance.
Deafness
Two types of deafness
1. Conduction deafness
Caused by interference of sound from the outside up to the
oval window
May result from
Buildup of earwax
Scarring or tearing of eardrum
Damage to the middle ear ossicles
Deafness
2. Nerve deafness
Caused by damage to nerve cells or sensory cells

May result from damage to
Hair cells in the organ of corti
The acoustic nerve (usually a tumor)
The brain (damage to the temporal lobe of the brain)

Sound Intensity

Measured in decibels (dB)
0 dB: threshold of human hearing
25 dB: quiet whisper
50 dB: normal speech
80 dB: very loud, annoying noise
100 dB: pneumatic drill
110 dB: loud music
120 dB: painful, some delayed hearing loss
Over 130 dB: permanent hearing loss
Sound Frequency
Measured in hertz (Hz)
Human hearing range 15 Hz to 20 000 Hz
Human speech averages 1000 Hz
Human scream 300 Hz
Highest note on a piano 4186 Hz
Hearing Test

Free online test
Fin
Online Hearing test
http://www.digital-recordings.com/hearing-test/www-ht-ebasic/ht_help_eb.html
How loud is too loud
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/education/decibel/pages/decibel.aspx
The McGurk Effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lN8vWm3m0
tutorial on Hearing loss
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/hearingloss/htm/_yes_50_no_0.htm
Education Portal ear videos
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-ear-middle-structures-and-hearing-
functions.html