Human ear

Human Ear
• Outer Ear: Pinna, auditory canal
• Middle ear: Tympanum , malleus , Incus, Stapes- ear ossicles
• Stapes is the smallest bone in the body.
• Inner ear/ Membranous labyrinth: Semi circular
• canals,Uriculus, Sacculus, and cohclea
• Semi circular canal: dynamic balance
• Utriculus and Sacculus: Static balance
• Function of ear : Hearing and maintaining
Balance of the body.
 Outer and Middle ear
• The pinna collects sound waves and directs into the auditory canal.
• The ceruminous glands secrete cerumen /wax.
• The auditory canal conducts the sound waves to the tympanum
• The ear ossicles transmit vibrations from the vibrating tympanum to the oval
window.
• At each junction the vibrations are amplified. So having three small bones
transmitting the vibrations is more efficient than having a single bone
traversing the cavity of the middle ear.
• The Eustachian tube equalizes the air pressure on either side of the
tympanum so that any change in the atmospheric pressure will not cause
damage to the delicate tympanum.
• GR: throat infections can lead to ear infections: The microbes that cause the
throat infection can travel to the middle ear via the eustachian tube and cause
infection of the ear.
 Functions of the ear and its parts
• Ear: hearing and maintaining balance
• Pinna: collects sound waves and directs it into the auditory canal
• Auditory canal conducts sound waves to the tympanum
• Ceruminous glands secrete wax that lubricates the tympanum and traps
insects
• Tympanum converts sound waves into mechanical vibrations
• Ear ossicles, Malleus , Incus, Stapes, transmit vibrations from the tympanum
to the oval window and amplify vibration.
• Organ of corti converts vibrations into nerve impulses.
• Auditory nerve conducts impulses to the brain.
• Eustachian canal equalises air pressure on either sides of the tympanum
 Balance
• Sensory cells in the cristae have their hairs embedded in the cupula. During roatational
movement the cupula gets displaced . This creates shearing forces in the sensory hairs of the
receptor cell which generate a nerve impulse in the vestibular nerve which conducts it to the
brain.
• The brain will ensure the corrective action is taken to regain balance during rotational
movement.
• The same principle is involved in static balance
 Membranous labyrinth/Inner ear
• This is located in a bony cavity of the skull called the
bony labyrinth filled with perilymph. Inside of the
membranous labyrinth there is endolymph.
• Semi circular canals: Anterior , posterior and lateral
semicircular canals are oriented at right angles to each
other. At one end of each is an expanded portion called
Ampulla bearing sensory receptors in crisata ampularis
sensitive to change in position.
• They respond to change in position during
rotational movement and help in dynamic equilibrium.
Dynamic equilibrium is the balance involved during rotational movement .
• Vestibule: This is made of utricle and saccule containing sensory receptors
 Membranous labyrinth
• They are located in the macula
• They maintain static balance during linear
movement, or shifting of the head from
side to side.
• Cochlea: This structure is a coil of 2 and a
half turns and is concerned with hearing.
• The Reissner’s membrane and Basilar
membrane divide its cavity into an upper vestibular canal filled with perilymph, a
median canal filled with endolymph and a tympanic canal filled with perilymph
• The organ of corti is located on the Basilar membrane of the median canal of
cochlea and helps in hearing. It has sensory receptors with hairs embedded in
tectorial membrane . A strain on the hairs will result in an impulse being generated
by these cells, which is then conducted by the auditory nerve to the brain
 Process of hearing
• Sound waves are gathered by the pinna and it is directed into the auditory
canal which conducts it to the tympanum.
• Tympanum starts vibrating. The vibrations are transmitted by the ear ossicles
after amplification to the oval window(fenestra ovalis).
• When stapes pushes into the vestibular canal it disturbs perilymph inside it
• This makes the Reissner’s membrane move up and down.
• So the endolymph in the median canal is disturbed which makes the basilar
membrane move.
• The audio receptors resting on it have their hair embedded in tectorial
membrane . When basilar membrane moves downwards the hairs get pulled.
• This generates an impulse in them which is conducted by the auditory nerve to
the temporal lobe of the brain which interprets it
• When stapes pushes in the round window(fenestra rotunda) bulges outwards
into the tympanic canal as liquids cannot be compressed,to accommodate it