Ear – Anatomy
The ear can be divided into three parts; external, middle, and inner.
A). External Ear:
The external ear can be divided functionally and structurally into two
parts; the auricle (or pinna), and the external acoustic meatus – which
ends at the tympanic membrane.
Auricle
The auricle is a paired structure found on either side of the head. It
functions to capture and direct sound waves towards the external acoustic
meatus.
It is a mostly cartilaginous structure, with the lobule being the only part
not supported by cartilage.
In the middle of the auricle is a hollow depression, called the concha. It
continues into the skull as the external acoustic meatus. The concha acts
to direct sound into the external acoustic meatus. Immediately anterior to
the beginning of the external acoustic meatus is an elevation of
cartilaginous tissue – the tragus. Opposite the tragus is the antitragus.
External Acoustic Meatus
The external acoustic meatus is a sigmoid shaped tube that extends
from the deep part of the concha to the tympanic membrane. The walls of
the external 1/3 are formed by cartilage, whereas the inner 2/3 are formed
by the temporal bone.
The external acoustic meatus does not have a straight path, and instead
travels in an S-shaped curve as follows:
• Initially it travels in a superior anterior direction.
• In then turns slightly to move super posteriorly.
• It ends by running in an infer anterior direction.
Tympanic Membrane
• The tympanic membrane lies at the distal end of the external
acoustic meatus. It is a connective tissue structure, covered with
skin on the outside and a mucous membrane on the inside. The
membrane is connected to the surrounding temporal bone by a
fibrocartilaginous ring.
Vasculature
The external ear is supplied by branches of the external carotid artery:
Innervation
The sensory innervation to the skin of the auricle comes from numerous
nerves:
• Greater auricular nerve (branch of the cervical plexus) –
innervates the skin of the auricle
• Lesser occipital nerve (branch of the cervical plexus) – innervates
the skin of the auricle
• Auriculotemporal nerve (branch of the mandibular nerve) –
innervates the skin of the auricle and external auditory meatus.
• Branches of the facial and vagus nerves – innervates the deeper
aspect of the auricle and external auditory meatus
B). Middle Ear:
The middle ear lies within the temporal bone, and extends from the
tympanic membrane to the lateral wall of the inner ear. The main
function of the middle ear is to transmit vibrations from the tympanic
membrane to the inner ear via the auditory ossicles.
Parts of the Middle Ear
The middle ear can be divided into two parts:
• Tympanic cavity – located medially to the tympanic membrane. It
contains three small bones known as the auditory ossicles: the
malleus, incus, and stapes. They transmit sound vibrations through
the middle ear.
• Epitympanic recess – a space superior to the tympanic cavity,
which lies next to the mastoid air cells. The malleus and incus
partially extend upwards into the epitympanic recess.
Borders
The middle ear can be visualised as a rectangular box, with a roof and
floor, medial and lateral walls, and anterior and posterior walls.
• Roof – formed by a thin bone from the petrous part of
the temporal bone. It separates the middle ear from the middle
cranial fossa.
• Floor – known as the jugular wall, it consists of a thin layer of bone,
which separates the middle ear from the internal jugular vein
• Lateral wall – made up of the tympanic membrane and the lateral
wall of the epitympanic recess.
• Medial wall – formed by the lateral wall of the internal ear. It
contains a prominent bulge, produced by the facial nerve as it
travels nearby.
• Anterior wall – a thin bony plate with two openings; for the auditory
tube and the tensor tympani muscle. It separates the middle ear
from the internal carotid artery.
• Posterior wall (mastoid wall) – it consists of a bony partition
between the tympanic cavity and the mastoid air cells.
• The bones of the middle ear are the auditory ossicles – the
malleus, incus, and stapes. They are connected in a chain-like
manner, linking the tympanic membrane to the oval window of
the internal ear.
• Sound vibrations cause a movement in the tympanic membrane
which then creates movement, or oscillation, in the auditory
ossicles. This movement helps to transmit the sound waves from
the tympanic membrane of external ear to the oval window of the
internal ear.
• The malleus is the largest and most lateral of the ear bones
• The next bone – the incus – consists of a body and two limbs
• The stapes is the smallest bone in the human body.
• The mastoid air cells are located posterior to epitympanic recess.
They are a collection of air-filled spaces in the mastoid process of
the temporal bone. The air cells are contained within a cavity called
the mastoid antrum.
• The mastoid air cells act as a ‘buffer system‘ of air – releasing air
into the tympanic cavity when the pressure is too low.
Muscles
There are two muscles which serve a protective function in the middle
ear; the tensor tympani and stapedius. They contract in response to loud
noise, inhibiting the vibrations of the malleus, incus, and stapes, and
reducing the transmission of sound to the inner ear. This action is known
as the acoustic reflex.
The tensor tympani originate from the auditory tube and attaches to the
handle of malleus, pulling it medially when contracting. It is innervated by
the tensor tympani nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve.
The stapedius muscle attaches to the stapes, and is innervated by
the facial nerve.
C). Inner Ear –
The inner ear is the innermost part of the ear, and houses the
vestibulocochlear organs. It has two main functions:
• To convert mechanical signals from the middle ear
into electrical signals, which can transfer information to the auditory
pathway in the brain.
• To maintain balance by detecting position and motion.
The inner ear is the innermost part of the ear, and houses the
vestibulocochlear organs. It has two main functions:
• To convert mechanical signals from the middle ear
into electrical signals, which can transfer information to the auditory
pathway in the brain.
• To maintain balance by detecting position and motion.
The inner ear has two main components – the bony labyrinth and
membranous labyrinth.
• Bony labyrinth – consists of a series of bony cavities within the
petrous part of the temporal bone. It is composed of the cochlea,
vestibule and three semi-circular canals. All these structures are
lined internally with periosteum and contain a fluid called perilymph.
• Membranous labyrinth – lies within the bony labyrinth. It consists
of the cochlear duct, semi-circular ducts, utricle, and the saccule.
The membranous labyrinth is filled with fluid called endolymph.
