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    The Human Ear

    Uploaded by

    Mangetsu Hozuki

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The Human Ear

    Uploaded by

    Mangetsu Hozuki
    4 views5 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    4 views5 pages

    The Human Ear

    Uploaded by

    Mangetsu Hozuki

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    The Human Ear: Structure and Function

    In humans, the ear is the organ of hearing as well as balance (equilibrium).


    Functions of the ear
    Hearing

    The ear turns certain wavelengths of vibration into sounds. It does this through a system of many parts.

    Outer ear

     The visible part of the ear we see on the outside of our heads is called the pinna. It acts like a satellite
    dish or funnel, gathering and focusing sound so that we can hear better.
    o The pinna is made mostly of cartilage. In some animals, the pinna can actually move, rotating to
    enable it to collect sound from different directions.

     Vibrations then travel along the ear canal.

    Middle ear

     The vibrations from the ear canal then reach the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The eardrum
    vibrates in response to the sounds that enter through the ear canal.

     Its vibrations are then transmitted through three tiny bones known as the ossicles:
    o malleus (also known as the “hammer”)
    o incus (also known as the “anvil”)
    o stapes (also the “stirrup”)

     The function of these three delicate bones is to vibrate as much as possible in response to sounds that
    enter the ear. They concentrate the vibrations from the ear canal and transmit them to the inner ear by
    making the oval window of the cochlea vibrate.

     The eustachion tube (which leads to the back of the mouth) helps keep the pressure of the middle ear
    constant.
    Inner ear

     The inner ear contains a series of fluid-filled chambers, which use hair cells to convert fine vibrations
    into neural impulses for purposes of both hearing and balance.
    o These hair cells are receptor cells and are found in the organ of Corti

     The inner ear receives vibrations that have been amplified and transmitted from the ear canal and
    through the malleus, incus, and stapes.
    o Located deep within the head, the hair cells of the inner ear are extremely sensitive to vibration.

    o When these hair cells are bent by vibrations, special proteins in the cell membrane cause the
    hair cells to create electrochemical impulses, very like nerve impulses, which are then carried to
    the auditory nerve in the brain.

    o By determining which hair cells are bending in response to vibration, the brain can calculate with
    a high degree of detail and accuracy the pitch or frequency of the sound vibration, the volume,
    and the location of the sound.
     Cells nearest the oval window detect high-frequency sounds (high pitch)
     Cells nearest the round window detect low-frequency sounds (low pitch)
     Loud sounds produce high amplitude vibrations
     Soft sounds produce low amplitude vibrations

     The vibrations eventually pass along the outer canal of the cochlea and out through the round window
    Balance

     The vestibular system assists with balance.


    o It is made up of the semicircular canals, sacculus and utriculs.

     Semicircular canals:
    o There are 3 of them, arranged in 3 planes at right angles to each other. This allows them to
    detect movement in any direction.
    o Many hair cells are found at the ends of the swellings
    of the semicircular canals. This is called an ampulla.
     The hair cells are embedded in a jelly-like
    mass called the cupula.
     When the head moves, the fluid in the
    semicircular canals also moves. This moves
    the cupula. The cupula pulls on the hair cells,
    stimulating them to send nerve impulses to
    the brain.

     Sacculus and utriculus:


    o These also contain hair cells
     The hair cells are embedded in a jelly-like layer that also contains calcium carbonate
    crystals called otoliths.
     The weight of the otoliths pulls on the hairs, stimulating them to send nerve impulses to
    the brain.
    o This gives information to the brain about the position of the head.
    Noise-induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
    Loud sounds, especially if they are long-lasting, can damage the sensitive structures within the ear, causing
    noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

    One-time exposure to a very loud sound (eg: an explosion) can tear the eardrum and damage the ossicles and
    cause temporary deafness.

     It can also cause a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear (tinnitus).


     The ear can recover from this.

    Long-term exposure to loud noise (above 85 decibels) can permanently damage the ear and result in
    permanent deafness.

     This is because the delicate hair cells in the inner ear are damaged.

    Normal cochlea Damaged cochlea

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