INNER

EAR
Inner ear
 Inner ear
• Also called as labyrinth.
• Responsible for hearing (via cochlea) and balance (via vestibular system).
Location: within petrous temporal
Communications:
• With middle ear: Oval window, round window
• With brain:
a. Internal acoustic meatus transmits cochlear & vestibular nerves
b. Cochlear aqueduct - involved in fluid regulation
 Inner ear -
components
Components of Internal Ear:
A. Bony labyrinth.

B. Membranous labyrinth.
• Bony Labyrinth:
Location: Petrous part of temporal bone
• The space between membranous and bony labyrinth is filled with perilymph.
• Membranous Labyrinth:
Location: Within bony labyrinth.
• It is a closed system of fluid filled intercommunicating membranous sacs and ducts.
• Fluid in it is called endolymph.
 Bony
Labyrinth
• It consists of intercommunicating bony cavities and canals.
Location: Petrous part of temporal bone.
Parts: 3 (from before backwards)
• Cochlea (anterior part)
• Vestibule (middle part)
• Semicircular canals (posterior part)
 1. Cochlea
• Twists on itself, resembles the shell of a common snail (2.5 – 2.75 turns)
Apex: directed towards medial wall of the tympanic cavity,
Base: directed towards bottom of the internal acoustic meatus.
Dimensions: Length- 30 mm, Height -5 mm
• Cochlea consists of two parts:
1. Modiolus
2. Cochlear canal: Spiral around modiolus.
Bulges as promontory in to tympanic cavity
 Modiolus
• A conical shaped central axis in the cochlea.
• Cochlea turns approximately 2.75 times around the central axis in humans.
Contents inside: perforated by Cochlear nerve, and spiral ganglion .
 Cochle
• A spiral ridge of bone called spirala
lamina, divides cochlear canal into:

a. Scala vestibuli (Upper chamber) - at oval window closed by foot plate of

stapes

b. Scala tympani (Lower) – Round window closes it.

c. Scala media (cochlear duct)

• Helicotrema

• Fenestra cochlea or round W

• Aqueduct of cochlea
 2.
• Small, oval-shaped centralVestibul
chamber (5 mm).
e
Location: between cochlea and 3 semicircular canals.
Communication:
Anteriorly: cochlea
Posteroinferiorly: with five openings of semi-circular canals.
 Vestibule -
Structure
• Lateral wall: Fenestra vestibuli (Oval window) - closed by the footplate of stapes.
• Medial wall : Presents two recess
A. Spherical recess: Lodges saccule
B. Elliptical recess: Lodges utricle
Aqueduct of vestibule – Saccus & ductus
• Anterior wall: opening to scala vestibuli
• Posterior wall: 5 semicircular canals openings
 3. Semicircular
Canals
• There are 3 bony semicircular canals:

1. Anterior (Superior) – 15-20 mm

2. Posterior (Vertical) – 18-22 mm

3. Lateral (Horizontal) – 12-15 mm

• Anterior semicircular canal is convex upwards.

• Its position is indicated on the anterior surface of petrous part as arcuate eminence.
 Membranous
Labyrinth
It consists of: (from before backwards)

1. Cochlear duct.

2. Saccule.

3. Utricle.

4. Semicircular ducts
 Cochlear Duct [Scala Media]
Location:
• In the middle part of bony cochlear canal.
• It is the anterior part of membranous labyrinth.
• contains sensory receptor for hearing - Spiral Organ of Corti.
Spiral Organ of Corti: components-
• Tunnel of Corti.
• Hair Cells- Outer and Inner cells
• Supporting Cells- Deiter’s and Hansen’s Cells.
• Membrana Tectoria.
Tunnel of Corti-
• Outer and Inner rod cells.
• Corticolymph.
Hair Cells-
• These are receptor cells of hearing.
• Inner hair cells are richly supplied by Cochlear nerve fibers.
 Saccule &
Utricle
Location: Within bony vestibule
Saccule:
• Small globular membranous sac.
Location: in the anteroinferior part of vestibule.
• Connected to cochlear duct by ductus reuniens.
• connected to the utricle by utriculo-saccular duct.
Utricle:
• It is an oblong membranous sac, larger than saccule.
Location: in the posterosuperior part of vestibule.

• It receives 3 semicircular ducts through 5 openings

 1

1
2
3
4
5
 Utriculo-
• It is ‘Y’ shaped.
Saccular Duct
• Continues as endolymphatic duct and its dilated end is called
endolymphatic sac.

• Endolymphatic duct passes through a bony canal ( Aqueduct of Vestibule).

 Receptors in Saccule
Maculae- & Utricle
Location: Medial wall of Saccule and Utricle.
• Maculae maintain the ‘static balance’.
• These receptors sense the position of head in
response to gravity and linear acceleration.
 Semicircular
Ducts
Number- Three
Anterior
Posterior
Lateral

 3 ducts lie in 3 corresponding semicircular canals.

Each duct has one dilated end called ampulla.

Ampullae have sensory receptors called ‘cristae’.

Cristae maintain the ‘kinetic balance’.

These receptors respond to ‘angular acceleration’.

 Innervation of Receptors of
Vestibular
Vestibular/Scarpa’s Ganglion- System
Location: Lateral part of internal acoustic meatus.
This ganglion has bipolar neurons.
Peripheral processes of these neurons innervate hair cells of cristae and maculae.

Central processes aggregate to form vestibular nerve. Peripheral Process

Central Process