ANATOMY AND

PHYSIOLOGY OF THE EAR

The ear is an engineering marvel because its sensory
receptor can transduce sound vibrations with
amplitudes as small as the diameter of gold (0.3 nm)
into electrical signals 1000 times faster than
photoreceptors can respond to light.

Besides receptors for sound waves, the ear also

contains receptors for equilibrium.
 Main Components of the
Hearing Mechanism:
Divided into 4 parts (by function):
• External (Outer) Ear
• Middle Ear
• Internal (Inner) Ear
• HEARING MECHANISM

– OUTER EAR – ACOUSTIC TO

KINETIC ENERGY
– MIDDLE EAR – CAUSES
INCREASE IN KINETIC
ENERGY ( x18)
– INNER EAR – KINETIC TO
HYDRAULIC ENERGY THEN
HYDRAULIC TO ELECTRICAL
ENERGY
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• MADE UP OF THREE
REGIONS

• EXTERNAL EAR
– PINNA OR AURICLE
– EXTERNAL AUDITORY
CANAL

• MIDDLE EAR
– TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
– MALLEUS, INCUS AND
STAPES
– EUSTATION TUBE OR
PHARYNGOTYMPANIC TUBE
• INNER EAR

• BONY AND
MEMBRANEOUS
LABRYNTH
– VESTIBULE
– SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS
– COCHLEA
– VESTIBULAR NERVE
– AUDITORY NERVE
Mastoid Process of Temporal Bone

• Bony ridge behind the

auricle
• Hardest bone in body,
protects cochlea and
vestibular system
• Provides support to the
external ear and posterior
wall of the middle ear
cavity
• Contains air cavities
which can be reservoir
for infection
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• OUTER EAR

– THE PINNA OR AURICLE

• CONSISTS OF CARTILEGE AND
SKIN

• ACTS AS A CHANNEL FOR

SOUND WAVES AND DIRECTS
THEM TOWARDS THE
EXTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS
AND ON TO THE TYMPANIC
MEMBRANE

• MADE UP OF 8 DISTINCT
STRUCTURES
• OUTER EAR

– PINNA OR AURICLE

• CARTILEGE COVERED WITH

PERICHONDRIUM BOUND
TO THE SKIN

– AUDITORY MEATUS

• 2/3 CARTILEGE
• 1/3 BONE
• STOPS AT THE TYMPANIC
MEMBRANE
• AUDITORY MEATUS

– CERUMEN (WAX) IS
PRODUCED IN THE OUTER
2/3 AND IS A BACTERICIDAL
WHICH AIDS IN THE
CLEANING MECHANISM
ALONG WITH EPITHELIAL
MIGRATION
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• THE MIDDLE EAR

– THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE

• ROUGHLY CIRCULAR

• ALMOST TRANSPARANT
WITH A CAPILLIARY BLOOD
SUPPLY

• JOINS MEATUS AROUND ITS

CIRCUMFERENCE
(ANNULAR)
• THE MIDDLE EAR

– THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE

– CONSISTS OF THREE
LAYERS

• OUTER EPITHELIAL

• MIDDLE ELASTIC FIBRE

• INNER MUCOUS
MEMBRANE
THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE

• Thin membrane
• Forms boundary
between outer and
middle ear
• Vibrates in response
to sound waves
• Changes acoustical
energy into
mechanical energy
• THE MIDDLE EAR

– THE OSSICLES
• STAPES
• INCUS
• MALLEUS

– TRANSFERS SOUND
VIBRATIONS FROM THE
TYPANIC MEMBRANE TO
THE INNER EAR
• Ossicular chain = malleus,
incus & stapes
• Malleus
– TM attaches at Umbo
• Incus
– Connector function
• Stapes
– Smallest bone in the body
– Footplate inserts in oval
window on medial wall

Focus/amplify vibration of TM to
smaller area, enables
vibration of cochlear fluids
Sound conduction through middle ear
• THE MIDDLE EAR

– EUSTACHIAN TUBE OR
PHARYNGOTYMPANIC TUBE

• LINKS THE MIDDLE EAR TO

THE PHARYNX

• ALLOWS PRESSURE TO
EQUALISE BETWEEN THE
ATMOSPHERE AND THE
MIDDLE EAR

• ALLOWS MUCOUS
DRAINAGE
Eustachian Tube (AKA: “The Equalizer”)

• Mucous-lined, connects
middle ear cavity to
nasopharynx
• “Equalizes” air pressure in
middle ear
• Normally closed, opens under
certain conditions
• May allow a pathway for
infection
Stapedius Muscle
• Attaches to stapes
• Contracts in response to loud sounds; (the
Acoustic Reflex)
• Changes stapes mode of vibration; makes it
less efficient and reduce loudness perceived
• Built-in earplugs!
• Absent acoustic reflex could signal
conductive loss or marked
sensorineural loss
BASIC EAR ANATOMY

• INNER EAR

– BONY LABRYNTH

– MEMBRANOUS LABYRINTH
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• INNER EAR

– BONY LABRYNTH

• ANTERIORLY THE COCHLEA

• MIDDLE THE VESTIBULE

• POSTERIORLY THE 3 SEMI-

CIRCULAR CANALS
• INNER EAR

– VESTIBULE

• THE FLUID FILLED (PERI-

LYMPH AND ENDO-LYMPH)
CENTRAL CAVITY OF THE
BONY LABYRNTH
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• INNER EAR

– SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS

• RESPONSIBLE FOR
SENSING MOTION AND
BALANCE

• HOLLOW BONEY TUBES

FILLED WITH PERILYMPH

• CONTAINS THE
MEMBRANEOUS LABYRNTH
AND ENDOLYMPH
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY
• INNER EAR

– THE COCHLEA

• A SPIRAL SHAPED FLUID

FILLED STRUCTURE
LINED WITH TINY HAIRS
(CILLIA) WHICH MOVE
WHEN VIBRATED AND
CAUSE A NERVE
IMPULSE TO FORM
• Snail shaped cavity within mastoid
bone
• 2 ½ turns, 3 fluid-filled chambers
• Scala Media contains Organ of Corti
Converts mechanical energy to
electrical energy
• INNER EAR

– THE COCHLEA

• CONTAINS THE
ORGAN OF CORTI
THROUGH WHICH
ELECTRICAL
(SOUND)
IMPULSES ARE
SENT ALONG THE
AUDITORY NERVE
TO THE BRAIN
 Organ Of Corti
• The end organ of hearing
– Contains stereocilia & receptor hair cells
– 3 rows OHC, 1 row IHC
– Tectorial and Basilar Membranes
– Cochlear fluids
 Hair Cells
• Frequency specific

– High pitches= base of cochlea

– Low pitches= apex of cochlea
– Fluid movement causes
deflection of nerve endings
– Nerve impulses (electrical
energy) are generated and
sent to the brain
 BASIC EAR ANATOMY

• THE AUDITORY
NERVE

– CARRIES SOUND
IMPULSES FROM THE
COCHLEA TO THE
BRAIN

• THE VESTIBULAR
NERVE

– CARRIES BALANCE
SIGNALS FROM THE
SEMI-CIRCULAR
CANALS TO THE BRAIN
Vestibular System
• Consists of three semi-circular
canals
• Monitors the position of the head
in space
• Controls balance
• Shares fluid with the cochlea
• Cochlea & Vestibular system
comprise the inner ear
 STAPES
AND OVAL SEMI CIRCULAR CANALS
WINDOW

INCUS VESTIBULAR AND

AUDITORY NERVES
MALLEUS
PINNA

COCHLEA

TYMPANIC
MEMBRANE
EUSTACHIAN
EAR CANAL TUBE
Mechanism of hearing:
Summary: How Sound Travels
Through The Ear
Acoustic energy, in the form of sound waves, is
channeled into the ear canal by the pinna. Sound waves
hit the tympanic membrane and cause it to vibrate, like
a drum, changing it into mechanical energy. The
malleus, which is attached to the tympanic membrane,
starts the ossicles into motion. The stapes moves in and
out of the oval window of the cochlea creating a fluid
motion, or hydraulic energy. The fluid movement causes
membranes in the Organ of Corti to shear against the
hair cells. This creates an electrical signal which is sent
up the Auditory Nerve to the brain. The brain
interprets it as sound!
Electrical pulses travel in neural
auditory pathway