ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Anatomy of Ear
 Ear is divided into three main regions:
 External ear consists of:
1. Auricle (pinna) is flap of elastic cartilage. It is covered by skin. Rim of auricle is called helix. Inferior portion is called
lobule. Plays important role in localization of sound. It opens into External auditory canal

2. External auditory canal / External auditory meatus - Curved tube, extends from pinna to ear drum. 2.5cm long. Near the
external opening the external auditory canal contains a few hairs and ceruminous glands. Ceruminous glands secrete the
cerumen (ear wax). Combination of hairs and cerumen helps prevent dust and foreign objects from entering the ear

3. Tympanic membrane (Ear drum) - External auditory canal ends at the Tympanic membrane also called as ear drum. It is a
thin, semitransparent partition between external auditory canal and middle ear. It is covered by epidermis. Lined by
simple cuboidal epithelium.

 Middle ear - Middle ear is small, air filled cavity in temporal bone. It is lined by epithelium. It is separated
from external ear by ear drum. It separated from inner ear by oval window. The structures of middle ear are:
1) Auditory Ossicles: These are the smallest three bones of the body. Connected by synovial joints.

a) Malleus: Word malleus is Latin for “hammer”. It is the first bone of the middle ear. The handle of
malleus is attached with internal surface of eardrum. Head of malleus is attached with body of incus.
The primary function of the malleus is the transmission of sound waves or vibrations from the
eardrum to the incus

b) Incus (Anvil) - It is second bone located in between the malleus and the stapes. The incus transmits
vibrations from the malleus to the stapes.

c) Stapes is the third and final bone of the middle ear. It is the smallest and lightest bone of the human
body. The stapes connects to the incus on the outward side and to the oval window. The primary
function of the stapes is transmitting sound waves from the incus to the membrane of the inner ear.
The base or footplate of stapes is fits into oval window

2) Oval window: It is a membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the vestibule of the
inner ear. The oval window is the intersection of the middle ear with the inner ear and is directly contacted by the
stapes; by the time vibrations reach the oval window, they have been amplified over 10 times from what they were when they contacted the tympanic membrane.
 3) Eustachian Tube- The middle ear is an air-filled space. It consists of both bone
and hyaline cartilage. This runs from the middle ear to the naso-pharynx behind the nose.
It is normally closed at pharyngeal end. During swallowing, chewing and yawing it
opens. It helps maintaining equal air pressure on the two sides of ear drum. If pressure
disturbed hinders clear and normal hearing.

 Inner ear- It is also called as labyrinth. Two main divisions of labyrinth:

Anterior and posterior are vertically oriented. lateral is horizontally oriented. Contains criste, site of
hair cells, maintain static equilibrium Ampula. One end of each canal is swollen enlargement is called
ampula Outer Bony labyrinth Ampula

b. Vestibule – It is the central part. Lies between cochlea in front and semicircular canal behind. It
contains utricles and saccule which are part of membranous labyrinth The walls of both Saccule and
Utricle contain small thickened region is called macula. Contains receptor for static equilibrium.
Maintains poster and balance Maculae contains two type of cells:
Hair cells
Supporting cells

c. Cochlea- Snail shaped, Bony spiral canal. Divided into three channels:
Cochlear duct
Scala vestibuli
Scala tampani
 2. Inner membranous labyrinth – It is series of sacs and tubes inside of bony labyrinth membranous labyrinth is lined with epithelium. It
contains endolymph and the level of potassium ions are high in endolymph. Potassium ions generates of the auditory signals. Membranous
labyrinth consists of two sacs:
a. Utricle
b. Saccule

 INNER EAR consists of neurons called HAIR CELLS; their axons form CN VIII.
 The stapes is attached to the OVAL WINDOW, and vibrations cause the perilymph to vibrate; the hair cells here transmit this vibration.
 Therefore the HAIR CELLS in this region are receptors for HEARING.
 The VESTIBULAR COCHLEAR NERVE, which takes the signals to the brain.
Therefore, the cochlea is where the hearing receptors are located, so the cochlea is responsible for all of the hearing of sounds.
However, the ear does more than just hear; it is also responsible for balance and equilibrium.

Physiology of Hearing
1. Auricle/ pinna directs sound waves into external auditory canal
2. When sound waves strike eardrum that cause eardrum to vibrate
3. The central area of Ear drum is connected to malleus which starts to vibrate. The vibration is transmitted from malleus to incus then to stapes
4. As a stapes moves back and forth it pushes the membrane of oval window in and out.
5. The movements of the oval window sets up fluid pressure waves in the perilymph.
6. So the vibrations are transmitted to “organ of corti” through perilymph and endolymph.
7. From the organ of corti, the impulses (produced by vibrations) are carried to brain through 8th cranial nerve to auditory centers of brain which is present in temporal lobe.

VESTIBULAR SYSTEM This system regulates balance. It is also within the inner ear. SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS (Three of them, all in different planes) determine
movement in three planes. Within each semi-circular canal is endolymph and hair cells, which connect to nerves that go to the cerebellum. When you move in one direction, like
sliding across the room, the fluid sloshes like a cup of coffee, and it makes the hair cells move.
Utricle and Saccule- Attached to the semi-circular canals are two joined structures called the UTRICLE and the SACCULE. These also contain HAIR CELLS and
ENDOLYMPH. Within the endolymph here are OTOLITHS (“ear rocks”) which are calcium deposits.
When you stand perfectly upright, these otoliths fall directly down and bend the HAIR CELLS (a special type of neuron) on the lower cells. When you tip your head to the side,
they will stimulate the hairs on that side.
The otoliths stimulate the hair cells to tell you what position your head is in and give you a sense of equilibrium. Therefore, the HAIR CELLS in this region are receptors for
equillibrium and the OTOLITHS are an essential component of this process.