anatomy of the ear

Question 1

What consists of the outer ear?

Answer 1

also known as the pinna
It protects the middle and inner ear
sound is funnelled through the pinna and ear canal

Question 2

What is the middle ear responsible for?

Answer 2

responsible for increasing efficiency of sound transfer to the cochlea.

It does this via area effect= greater pressure is exerted at the oval window that the tympanic membrane (ear drum)

also does this via lever effect= ossicles act as a lever, amplifying the force exerted on the tympanic membrane

Question 3

explain the middle ear reflex

Answer 3

muscles attached to ossicle contract when exposed to intense sounds,
this enables protection from loud sounds and self generated sounds

Question 4

what composes the inner ear?

Answer 4

cochlea and vestibular system

cochlea= has 3 fluid filled canals; sacular vestibula, scala media, and scala tympani.
It also has a receptive organ, hair cells, and tectorial membrane

Question 5

function and structure of hair cells

Answer 5

3500 inner
1200 outer

functions=
ICH= sensory receptors, responsible for transmitting the sound to the brain
OHC= modulates the sound entering the inner most part of the inner ear