Lecture 22 - Hearing Flashcards
Ear parts
outer, middle and inner part
Outer and middle part are
air filled
Inner part is
fluid filled
Outer -
Outer = external auditory canal, pinna (auricle), tympanic membrane (ear drum)
Pinna
Pinna - as sound waves come into the ear, the lumps and bumps of the pinna causes the reflection of sound waves into the external auditory canal
Tympanic membrane
Tympanic membrane - also called the ear drum, sound waves cause vibrations on the tympanic membrane
Middle -
Middle = Malleus and incus and stapes which make up the ossicles, middle ear cavity, auditory (eustachian) tube
Eustachian tube
Auditory (Eustachian) tube - air is maintained by this structure, opens intermittently to equalise the intratympanic air pressure with the pressure in the external auditory canal, goes down the back of our nose and nasopharynx which is how it gets air from the atmosphere up into the middle ear cavity, if you have a cold then the end of the tube can be blocked by snot and if you fly and change altitudes lots with a cold then it is very difficult to equalise this pressure with a cold and can be painful due to blockage
Ossicles include =
Malleus, incus and stapes
Ossicles
Malleus, incus and stapes together are called the ossicles (part of the middle ear). These are the smallest bones in the body, muscles and ligaments surround them and help them to fulfil their role, the role of these three bones is to transfer vibrations from sound waves from the tympanic membrane through into the middle ear, tympanic membrane vibrations causes the malleus to move which then causes the incus to move which then causes the incus to move which then causes the stapes to move
Stapes
Stapes = one of the 3 bones that is important for delivering vibrations through to the inner ear
Inner -
Inner = Semicircular canal, vestibulocochlear nerve (vestibular branch and cochlear branch), cochlea
Semicircular canal
Semicircular canal - responsible for our sensation of balance
Cochlea is made up of
Cochlea = lots of fluid filled tubes
Cochlea
Made up of a upper chamber, middle chamber and lower chamber
Upper chamber of cochlea
scala vestibuli
Middle chamber of the cochlea
Scala media
Bottom chamber/lower chamber of the cochlea
Scala tympani
Scala vestibuli
Upper chamber
Fluid filled with perilymph which is a fluid that closely resembles the make up of extracellular fluid (high sodium, low potassium)