Hearing Anatomy + Physiology Flashcards
Another word for hearing is?
Audition
Purpose of the ear?
To conduct energy
The ear will convert acoustic energy into electrochemical energy so that the brain can process the information
What are the 3 main parts of the ear?
Outer Ear
Middle Ear
Inner Ear
Outer Ear Parts
Pinna or Auricle - outermost portion of the outer ear
Pinna Transmits sound to the middle and inner ears, and to localize sound
You can hear without the pinna
Lobe or lobule
Concha Cava - entrance to the ear
Outer Ear - air filled
The entire outer ear is comprised of ?
Cartilage
Except for the lobule - composed of fat and connective tissue
Medial to the concha cava is the ?
EAM
External Auditory Meatus or ear canal
Together, the concha cava + EAM help with what?
Transmission of sound to the middle and inner ear
External Auditory Meatus
Later 1/3 is made of cartilage
Medial 2/3 forms the bony meatus of the temporal bone
Terminates @ Tympanic Membrane
Contains cilia (small hairs) + cerumen (ear wax)
Cerumen
Protects the ear from dryness + intrusion of bugs/other foreign bodies
Tympanic Membrane
Boundary b/w the outer and middle ears
Transmits sound to the 3 ossicles or bones (AKA ossicular chain) of the middle ear.
These bones are medial to the TM
Sound enters the Outer Ear and then reaches the TM, setting it into vibration
3 ossicles or bones of the middle ear
Malleus, incus, stapes
Ossicular Chain
Delivers vibrations to inner ear + helps protect the inner ear from excessively loud vibrations
Middle ear is filled with what
Air
Middle Ear Bones: malleus
Most lateral point of attachment for the tympanic membrane
middle ear bones: incus (anvil)
lies medial
in between the malleus and stapes
Stapes
Most medial of the 3 bones - the smallest
Articulation of middle ear bones
Malleus + incus articulate by means of saddle joint
will move as 1 unit when the TM vibrates/moves
Stapes - it’s footplate fills the oval window which is a part of the inner ear
2 muscles of the inner ear
Stapedius + Tensor Tympani
Both are attached to the ossicular chain
Purpose of the middle ear muscles
to damp or reduce the vibration of the ossicular chain