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Ear Anatomy & Function Guide

The ear has three main parts - the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear collects sound waves and directs them through the auditory canal to the middle ear. The middle ear contains three small bones that transmit vibrations to the inner ear. The inner ear houses the cochlea and vestibular system. The cochlea contains hair cells that detect vibrations and send signals to the brain for hearing. The vestibular system contains receptors for balance and equilibrium through the maculae and cristae in the inner ear.

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Brianne Earnest
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506 views2 pages

Ear Anatomy & Function Guide

The ear has three main parts - the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear collects sound waves and directs them through the auditory canal to the middle ear. The middle ear contains three small bones that transmit vibrations to the inner ear. The inner ear houses the cochlea and vestibular system. The cochlea contains hair cells that detect vibrations and send signals to the brain for hearing. The vestibular system contains receptors for balance and equilibrium through the maculae and cristae in the inner ear.

Uploaded by

Brianne Earnest
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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• T h e E ar
o Houses two senses
 Hearing
 Equilibrium (balance)
o Receptors are mechanoreceptors
o Different organs house receptors for each sense
• An at omy of t h e E a r
o The ear is divided into three areas
 External (outer) ear
 Middle ear (tympanic cavity)
 Inner ear (bony labyrinth)
• T h e Ext ern al E a r
o Involved in hearing only
o Structures of the external ear
 Auricle (pinna)
 External acoustic meatus (auditory canal)
• Narrow chamber in the temporal bone
• Lined with skin and ceruminous (wax) glands
• Ends at the tympanic membrane
• T h e Mi d dl e E a r (Ty mp a nic Ca vit y)
o Air-filled cavity within the temporal bone
o Only involved in the sense of hearing
o Two tubes are associated with the inner ear
 The opening from the auditory canal is covered by the tympanic membrane
 The auditory tube connecting the middle ear with the throat
 Allows for equalizing pressure during yawning or swallowing
 This tube is otherwise collapsed
o Bones of the Middle Ear (Tympanic Cavity)
 Three bones (ossicles) span the cavity
• Malleus (hammer)
• Incus (anvil)
• Stapes (stirrip)
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o Function
 Vibrations from eardrum move the hammer  anvil  stirrup  inner ear
• Inn er E a r or Bon y L a by ri nt h
o Includes sense organs for hearing and balance
o Filled with perilymph
o A maze of bony chambers within the temporal bone
 Cochlea
 Vestibule
 Semicircular canals
• Orga n s of E qui lib riu m
o Equilibrium receptors of the inner ear are called the vestibular apparatus
o Vestibular apparatus has two functional parts
 Static equilibrium
 Dynamic equilibrium
• St atic E qui li b riu m
o Maculae—receptors in the vestibule
 Report on the position of the head
 Send information via the vestibular nerve
o Anatomy of the maculae
 Hair cells are embedded in the otolithic membrane
 Otoliths (tiny stones) float in a gel around the hair cells
 Movements cause otoliths to bend the hair cells
• Dy n a mi c Equ ili b riu m
o Crista ampullaris—receptors in the semicircular canals
 Tuft of hair cells
 Cupula (gelatinous cap) covers the hair cells
o Action of angular head movements
 The cupula stimulates the hair cells
 An impulse is sent via the vestibular nerve to the cerebellum
• Orga n s of H ea ri n g
o Organ of Corti
 Located within the cochlea
 Receptors = hair cells on the basilar membrane
 Gel-like tectorial membrane is capable of bending hair cells
 Cochlear nerve attached to hair cells transmits nerve impulses to auditory cortex on
temporal lobe
• M ec h a ni s m of H ea ri n g

o Vibrations from sound waves move tectorial membrane


o Hair cells are bent by the membrane
o An action potential starts in the cochlear nerve
o Continued stimulation can lead to adaptation

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