What re the 2 main functions of the ear and the parts of the ear that undergo these
hearing
○ auditory system: external ear, middle ear and cochlear part of inner ear
balance
○ vestibular system: vestibular part of inner ear
external ear what part of the ear, what consists of and how separated from middle ear
Pinna what also called, what part of the ear, what 4 things made of
auricle in external ear • funnel-shaped structure protruding from surface of head • auricular cartilage • auricular muscles (CNVII) • skin • blood vessels
external acoustic meatus what is it, what part of the ear, what made of and the shape
tympanic membrane what conissts of and what is on the lateral and medial surface
• thin, complete membrane
• consists of fibrous tissue:
○ firmly attached to osseous tympanic ring (temporal bone)
○ covered laterally by epidermis and medially by mucosa
what are the 3 features of the middle ear
1) tympanic (middle ear) cavity
2) auditory ossicles
Tympanic cavity what filled with, how connected to nasopharynx and inner ear, function
Auditory ossicles what are the 3 ossicles, where placed, how moved and function
malleus, incus and stapes:
○ Malleus: - ‘handle’ embedded in medial aspect of tympanic membrane
§ visible through tympanic membrane when viewed with otoscope
○ Incus: - sits between malleus and stapes
○ Stapes: - base sits in vestibular window
• attached to wall of tympanic cavity by ligaments
• can be moved by contraction of m. tensor tympani (attached to malleus) and m. stapedius (attached to stapes)
○ dampens transmission (protective device)
• movement transmitted from tympanic membrane to vestibular window causes movement of fluid in inner ear
inner ear what consist of and within
Bony labyrinth - vestible, semicicular canals, cochlea
Membranous labyrinth - utricle and saccule, semicircular ducts, cochlear duct - contains endolymph and surrounded by perilymph
vestibular system where in the ear, function and how works
• organ responsible for sensing body position
• static and kinetic sensations perceived by hair cells in specialized sensory regions:
○ 40-80 cilia and one kinocilium on apical surface of hair cells
○ movement of cilia towards or away from kinocilium results in depolarization or hyperpolarization of hair cell, and excitation or inhibition of firing of neuron at base of hair cell
Utricle and saccule what are they where found in the ear and main function
inner ear Utricle and saccule • two membranous enlargements • utricle - at base of semicircular canals • saccule: § ventral to utricle § connected to endolymphatic duct (probably involved in absorption of endolymph) • sense static position through maculae:
how does utricle and saccule sense static position through maculae
semicircular ducts where in the ear, how many found, what contain
three in each ear located at right angles to each other - inner ear
• each duct contains enlargement at one end - ampulla:
○ contains sensory region (crista)
• sense dynamic position due to movement of endolymph
• hair cells located on crista, a ridge of cells projecting from wall of ampulla
• cilia of hair cells project into gelatinous material - cupula:
○ cupula readily deflected by movement of endolymph created by rotation or deceleration of head
cochlear part of inner ear what is it, ducts and what communicate with
Basilar membrane where in the ear, what part of, function and how occurs
inner ear
part of cochlear duct adjacent to scala tympani
• transduces sound into nerve impulses
• contains hair cells with tips of cilia embedded in gelatinous tectorial membrane (cochlear hair cells have no kinocilia)
• base of hair cells in contact with nerve endings leading to neurons in spiral ganglion (in modiolus)
what are the 9 steps in the hearing process
vibration of tympanic membrane ⇓ vibration of auditory ossicles ⇓ vibration of stapes against vestibular window ⇓ waves in perilymph of scala vestibuli ⇓ waves in endolymph of cochlear duct ⇓ vibration of basilar membrane ⇓ distortion of hair cell cilia resting against tectorial membrane ⇓ depolarization of hair cells ⇓ impulse in cochlear nerve
List the 3 main nerves involved with the ear
1) vestibulocochlear nerve
2) facial nerve
3) trigeminal nerve
vestibulocochlear nerve what are the 3 ways its involved in the ear
Facial nerve what are the 3 ways it is involved with the ear
Trigeminal nerve how is it involved with the ear
branch of mandibular division supplies m. tensor tympani
Within the vestibular system what are the 2 main areas of receptors and receptors within
Crista ampullaris
- Movement of endolymph causes deflection of cilia – increase or decrease in firing of CNVIII
1. Ampulla – dilation within the semicircular duct
2. Cupula – gelationous material
3. Neuroepithelium
Macula (one each in utricculus and saccule)
•Neuroepithelium covered by otolithic membrane
Within the vestibular system what are the 2 main areas, their function and how achieve
Function of Semicircular ducts and canals and how it achieves this, what results
Efferents from CNVIII where project to and the 3 areas that are then projected to