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The Ear 043856

The ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, each playing a crucial role in hearing and balance. Sound waves are collected by the outer ear, transmitted through the middle ear's ossicles, and converted into nerve impulses in the cochlea of the inner ear. Balance is maintained by the semicircular canals and vestibular apparatus, which detect head movements and send signals to the brain.

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9 views4 pages

The Ear 043856

The ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, each playing a crucial role in hearing and balance. Sound waves are collected by the outer ear, transmitted through the middle ear's ossicles, and converted into nerve impulses in the cochlea of the inner ear. Balance is maintained by the semicircular canals and vestibular apparatus, which detect head movements and send signals to the brain.

Uploaded by

bbad81428
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE EAR

 For hearing and balance


 Has three divisions: outer ear, middle ear and inner ear
Outer ear

Pinna- made of cartilage and directs sound waves into the eardrum

Ear canal- transmits sound waves to the eardrum. Produces wax to trap dirt and prevent drying out

Middle ear

Eardrum(tympanum) –thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves hit it.

Ossicles: smallest bones in the ear and sound waves cause each of the bones to vibrate. They transmit sound
waves to the oval window. There are three small bones: hammer (malleus), anvil ( incus) and stirrup(stapes). The
pass vibrations from the outer ear to the inner ear. Increasing their strength. The stirrup fits into the oval window
and passes the vibrations to the inner ear.

Inner ear –

Oval window-passes sound vibrations from the stirrup to the inner ear.

Round window- passes vibrations from the inner ear back to the middle ear to prevent echoing.

Eustachian tube- links inner ear to the nose and throat, equalizing air pressure in the middle ear with air pressure
on the outside

Cochlea –fluid filled coiled structure containing Corti organ which converts sound waves to nerve impulses

Auditory nerve- passes information from the cochlea to the brain to make sense of the vibrations and sound that
caused them.

Production of sound

 The external ear/pinna collects sound waves and directs them towards the middle ear
 Sound waves beat against the eardrum causing it to vibrate
 The Eustachian tube ensures that the air pressure is the same on both sides of the eardrum. This ensures
that vibrations are passed without changing their nature
 The three bony ossicles gently vibrate in the air filled middle ear cavity. Hammer------anvil--------stirrup.
Sound waves are changed to vibrations, transmitted and amplified before they reach the inner ear
through the oval window.
 Oval window passes vibrations into the cochlea( fluid filled and coiled). This fluid vibrates passing on the
vibrations to the hair like structures in the Corti organ
 This create nerve impulses that are sent to the brain along the auditory nerve( cochlear nerve)
 Brain will make sense of the vibrations and interpret

Maintaining balance

 It is controlled by three semicircular canals and vestibular apparatus. Semicircular canals lie at right angles
to each other. These can feel changes in the movement of the head
 The semicircular canals are filled with endolymph. Each canal has a swelling at one end called ampulla
 Ampulla has Crista consisting of hair cells which penetrate a cony of jelly called cupula
 Cristae are stimulated by head movement (acceleration, deceleration or rotational movement).
 When the body turns around, the liquid in the canals lags slightly behind and pushes the cupulla to one
side which in turn pulls the sensory hairs in the ampulla and send nerve impulses to the brain
 Ultriculae and sacculae are sac like structures filled with endolymph , they consists of hair cells embedded
in a mass of jelly and they monitor the position of the head in space therefore, maintain the posture of
the body.
 They respond to straight line changes in speed and direction
 When the head tilts to one side, it pushes the gelatinous plate resulting in different strengths of pulls and
pressures and nerve impulses are transmitted to the brain

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