Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Head and Neck > Anatomy of the ear > Flashcards

Anatomy of the ear Flashcards

1
Q

What are the basic functions of the ear?

A

Hearing

Balance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the parts of the ear?

A

External ear

Middle ear

Inner ear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the parts of the external ear?

A

Pinna

External auditory meatus

Lateral surface of tympanic membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the pinna made up of?

A

Cartilage

covered with skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the parts of the pinna?

A

Helix

Antihelix

Concha

Tragus

Lobe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the helix of the pinna?

A

Outer fold of the pinna

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the antihelix of the pinna?

A

Flat area deep to the helix of the pinna

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the concha of the pinna?

A

Flat area deep to the antihelix of the pinna

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the tragus of the pinna?

A

Flap over the external auditory meatus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the lobe of the pinna?

A

Most inferior part of the pinna

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the lobe of the pinna made up of?

A

Loose adipose connective tissue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the external auditory meatus made up of?

A

Outer 1/3 is made up of cartilage

Inner 2/3 made up of bone

Both covered by skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What skull bone makes up the inner external acoustic meatus?

A

Tympanic plate of temporal bone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the shape of the externa auditory meatus?

A

Sigmoid shape

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How long is the external auditory meatus?

A

2.5cm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does the cartilaginous part of the external auditory meatus contain?

A

Hairs

Glands producing wax

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the functions of the hairs and wax in the external auditory meatus?

A

Physical barrier to prevent substances passing deeper into the external auditory meatus

Aid in migration of shed skin cells out of external auditory meatus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is located at the end of the external auditory meatus?

A

The tympanic membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What does the tympanic membrane look like?

A

Translucent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the tympanic membrane made up of?

A

Fibrous connective tissue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the shape of the tympanic membrane?

A

Cone-shaped

apex points medially

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does the apex of the tympanic membrane attach to?

A

Malleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the functions of the external ear?

A

Collect and transmit sound waves onto tympanic membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the middle ear made up of?

A

Ossicles

Air-filled cavity

Eustachian tube

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is another term for the middle ear?

A

Tympanic cavity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What skull bone contains the middle and inner ear?

A

Petrous part of temporal bone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What skull bone contains the internal acoustic meatus?

A

Petrous part of temporal bone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What are ossicles?

A

Small bones in the middle ear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

How many ossicles are there?

30
Q

What does the malleus bone attach to?

A

Apex of tympanic membrane

Incus

31
Q

What does the incus bone attach to?

A

Malleus

Stapes

32
Q

What does the stapes bone attach to?

A

Incus

Oval window of cochlea

33
Q

What are the three ossicles?

A

Malleus

Incus

Stapes

34
Q

What type of joint connects the ossicle bones?

A

Synovial joints

35
Q

What is the function of the ossicles?

A

Amplify vibrations from tympanic membrane

to oval window

36
Q

What is the oval window?

A

Membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and inner ear

37
Q

How do the ossicles amplify vibrations to the oval window?

A

By themselves vibrating

and hitting the oval window

38
Q

Why is the function of the ossicles important?

A

Because the middle ear is filled with air, but the inner ear is filled with fluid
Poor conduction of sound from air to fluid
Ossicles in ear amplify vibrations to increase conduction of sound in fluid of inner ear

39
Q

What does the degree of vibration of the ossicles depend on?

A

How loud the sound heard was

40
Q

Which ossicle is in direct contact with the oval window?

41
Q

What is the acoustic reflex?

A

Loud sound heard
lots of vibration of stapes bone against oval window
contraction of stapedius muscle to reduce vibration of stapes

42
Q

What part of stapes is in direct contact with the oval window?

A

Base plate

43
Q

What controls the degree of vibration of the stapes ossicle?

A

Stapedius muscle contracts

to reduce vibration of stapes ossicle against oval window

44
Q

What innervates the stapedius muscle?

A

Facial nerve

gives off branch to stapedius muscle

45
Q

What is the eustachian tube?

A

Air-filled tube that runs from the middle ear cavity to the nasopharynx

46
Q

What is the main function of the eustachian tube?

A

To equilibriate pressure in the middle ear cavity

with atmospheric pressure

47
Q

What are the minor functions of the eustachian tube?

A

Ventilation of middle ear cavity

Drainage of mucus from middle ear cavity

48
Q

Which cranial nerve runs close to the middle ear cavity?

A

CN7 facial nerve

49
Q

What is the facial nerve passing through when it is close to the middle ear cavity?

A

Facial canal in petrous part of temporal bone

50
Q

What is the relative pressure in the middle ear cavity?

A

Negative pressure

51
Q

Why is there negative pressure in the middle ear cavity?

A

Because the mucous membrane lining the middle ear

continuously reabsorbs air from the middle ear cavity

52
Q

Which cranial nerves run through the middle ear cavity?

A

Chorda tympani branch of CN7 facial nerve

CN8 vestibulocochlear nerve

53
Q

What is the mastoid antrum?

A

Prolongation of middle ear cavity

54
Q

What connects the middle ear to the mastoid antrum?

A

Mastoid aditus

55
Q

What is the mastoid antrum continuous with apart from the middle ear?

A

Mastoid air cells

56
Q

What are mastoid air cells?

A

Air-filled cavities within the mastoid part of the temporal bone

57
Q

What skull bone contains the mastoid antrum?

A

Mastoid part of temporal bone

58
Q

What is another term for the inner ear?

59
Q

What are the parts of the inner ear?

A

Cochlea

Vestibular apparatus

60
Q

What is the cochlea made up of?

A

Fluid contained in cochlear duct
cochlear duct is lined by membrane
membrane is lined by bone

61
Q

What covers the inner surface of the cochlear duct?

A

Spiral organ of Corti lines one surface

62
Q

What is the spiral organ of Corti made up of?

A

Hair cells

have stereocilia on their apical domain

63
Q

What happens in the cochlea when the oval window vibrates?

A

Fluid in cochlear duct moves
causes stereocilia on hair cells to move
generates action potentials

64
Q

What carries action potentials from the cochlea?

A

Cochlear part of CN8 vestibulocochlear nerve

65
Q

What information is carried in the cochlear part of the CN8 vestibulocochlear nerve?

A

Special sensory - hearing

66
Q

Where does the cochlear part of the vestibulocochlear nerve carry action potentials to eventually?

A

Primary auditory cortex

in temporal lobe

67
Q

What is the vestibular apparatus made up of?

A

Semicircular canals

Saccule

Utricle

68
Q

What is a semicircular canal made up of?

A

Fluid contained in semicircular duct
semicircular duct is lined by membrane
membrane is lined by bone

69
Q

What covers the inner surface of the semicircular ducts?

A

Hair cells

have stereocilia on their apical domain

71
Q

What carries action potentials from the vestibular apparatus?

A

Vestibular part of CN8 vestibulocochlear nerve

72
Q

What information is carried in the vestibular part of the CN8 vestibulocochlear nerve?

A

Special sensory - position, balance

73
Q

What happens to the semicircular canals when the head is moved?

A

Fluid in semicircular canals moves
causes the stereocilia on the hair cells lining the semicircular canals to move
generates action potentials

Head and Neck (54 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions