THE EAR

Divisions
A. OUTER EAR
B. MIDDLE EAR
C. INNER EAR

OUTER EAR
Parts:
AURICLE
- collects the sound waves
- made up of elastic cartilage
- receives insertions of Auricularis
anterior, posterior
& superior muscles

OUTER EAR - AURICLE

Parts:
HELIX - Darwins Tubercle
Crus Helicis
Tragus
ANTIHELIX - Antitragus
Fossa
Triangularis
CONCHA - Cymba Concha
Cavum Concha
LOBULE Intertragic Notch

OUTER EAR - AURICLE

Blood Supply:
Arterial = Posterior Auricular Artery
Venous = Superficial Temporal Veins
Innervation:
Great Auricular Nerve
Auriculotemporal Nerve
Lesser Occipital Nerve

OUTER EAR - EXTERNAL ACOUSTIC MEATUS

-

S-shaped tube 2.5 cm long from auricle to tympanic membrane

Lined by skin with numerous ceruminous glands

Divisions:
CARTILAGINOUS PART = outer 1/3
OSSEOUS PART = inner 2/3

OUTER EAR - EXTERNAL

ACOUSTIC MEATUS
Blood Supply:
Superficial Temporal Artery
Deep Auricular Artery
Posterior Auricular Artery
Innervation:
Auriculotemporal Nerve
Auricular Branch of Vagus Nerve

TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
(EARDRUM)
-

oval-shaped membrane
Forms the lateral wall of the middle ear
Separates outer ear from the middle ear
Conducts sound vibrations to the auditory
ossicles
- Concave laterally & oriented obliquely

TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
Layers:
Outer Cutaneous
Intermediate Fibrous
Inner Mucosa
Parts:
UMBO - central depression
- point of attachment for malleus
PARS TENSA - attached to handle of malleus
- supported by fibrocartilaginous
ring
PARS FLACCIDA - no intermediate fibrous
layer

TYMPANIC MEMBRANE
Innervation:
Externally = Auriculotemporal Nerve
Auricular Branch of Vagus
Nerve
Internally = Tympanic Branch of
Glossopharyngeal Nerve

MIDDLE EAR (TYMPANIC CAVITY)

- Air space in petrous portion of temporal bone
- Lined by mucous membrane and contains the auditory
ossicles
Divisions:
EPITYMPANIC RECESS (Attic)
- above the level of tympanic membrane
- contains the malleus & body of incus
TYMPANIC CAVITY PROPER
- inch in length & height and 1/10 of an inch wide
- communicates with:
Nasopharynx = Eustachian Tube
Mastoid Air Cells = Aditus ad Antrum

MIDDLE EAR - TYMPANIC CAVITY

PROPER
Boundaries:
Roof
= Tegmen Tympani
Floor
= thin bone separating the Jugular Fossa
Lateral Wal
= Tympanic Membrane
Medial Wall
= separates middle ear from inner ear
Anterior Wall = receives the opening of Eustachian Tube
Posterior Wall = Aditus ad antrum
Pyramidal Eminence = Stapedius muscle
Facial Canal

MIDDLE EAR - TYMPANIC CAVITY

PROPER
Structures in the Medial Wall:
FORAMEN OVALE (Oval Window; Fenestra
Vestibuli)
- opening b/w tympanic cavity & vestibule
- occupied by footplate of Stapes
PROMONTORY
- rounded projection below the Foramen Ovale
- represents the basal turn of the Cochlea
- covered by Tympanic Plexus of Nerves from
CN IX

MIDDLE EAR - TYMPANIC CAVITY

PROPER
Structures in the Medial Wall:
FORAMEN ROTUNDUM (Round Window;
Fenestra Cochlea)
- lies posteroinferior to promontory
- opening b/w tympanic cavity & cochlea
- covered by Secondary Tympanic
Membrane
COCHLEARIFORM PROCESS
- posterior end of bony ridge that separates the
canals of the Tensor Tympani & Eustachian
Tube

MIDDLE EAR - AUDITORY OSSICLES

- Transmit sound waves from tympanic membrane to
inner ear
- Covered by mucous membrane & connected by synovial
joints
MALLEUS (Hammer)
Parts: Head
Handle (Manubrium)
Neck
Anterior & Lateral Processes
INCUS (Anvil)
Parts: Body
Crus = Long & Short
STAPES (Stirrup)
Parts: Head
Neck

Crura
Footplate (Base)

INNER EAR
Components:
1. BONY LABYRINTH
- communicates w/ bony chambers lined by
periosteum
- contains: PERILYMPH
Parts:
1. COCHLEA
2. VESTIBULE
3. SEMICIRCULAR CANALS

INNER EAR BONY LABYRINTH

COCHLEA
- snail-shaped part w/ 2 turns
- Modiolus = central bony core
- contains: COCHLEAR DUCT
- receives opening of Round Window
VESTIBULE
- middle part of bony labyrinth
- contains: UTRICLE & SACCULE
- receives opening of Oval Window

INNER EAR BONY LABYRINTH

SEMICIRCULAR CANALS
- 3 in number: Anterior, Posterior & Lateral
- arranged in 2 planes: 2 vertical & 2
Horizontal
- open into the vestibule

INNER EAR
2. MEMBRANOUS LABYRINTH
- lies within bony labyrinth
- contains: ENDOLYMPH
Parts:
a. COCHLEAR DUCT
b. UTRICLE & SACCULE
c. SEMICIRCULAR DUCTS

INNER EAR - MEMBRANOUS

LABYRINTH
COCHLEAR DUCT
- ends blindly at tip of cochlea
- contains: SPIRAL ORGAN OF CORTI
- divides the bony cochlea into:
a) SCALA VESTIBULI
b) SCALA TYMPANI

INNER EAR - MEMBRANOUS

LABYRINTH
UTRICLE & SACCULE
- found within the vestibule
- connected by the Utriculosaccular Duct
- contains: MACULA (Linear Acceleration
& Gravitational Pull)

INNER EAR - MEMBRANOUS

LABYRINTH
SEMICIRCULAR DUCTS
- found inside Semicircular Canals
- connects the Utricle at 5 points
- dilated part near opening: Ampula
- contains: CRISTA AMPULLARIS (Rotational
Acceleration)
ENDOLYMPHATIC DUCT
- extends from Utriculosaccular Duct
- ends as ENDOLYMPAHTIC SAC
= lies beneath dura mater post. surface of Temporal
Bone
- allows resorption of endolymph into CerebroSpinal
Fluid

VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR NERVE
Leaves the posterior cranial fossa thru the Internal
Acoustic Meatus
Divides into:
VESTIBULAR NERVE
- supplies the: MACULA & CRISTA
AMPULLARIS
COCHLEAR NERVE
- supplies the: SPIRAL ORGAN OF CORTI