Question

Explain the structure of human ear with explanation.

Answer 1

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Structure of Ear:

Each ear consists of three portions:

(i) External ear,

(ii) Middle ear and

(iii) Internal ear.

1. External Ear:

It comprises a pinna, external auditory meatus (canal) & tympanic membrane.

(i) Pinna:

The pinna is a projecting elastic cartilage covered with skin. Its most prominent outer ridge is called the helix. The lobule is the soft pliable part at its lower end composed of fibrous and adipose tissue richly supplied with blood capillaries. It is sensitive as well as effective in collecting sound waves.

(ii) External Auditory Meatus:

It is a tubular passage supported by cartilage in its exterior part and by bone in its inner part. The meatus (canal) is internally lined by hairy skin (stratified epithelium) and ceruminous glands (wax glands). The latter are modified sweat glands which secrete a waxy substance— the cerumen (ear wax) which prevents the foreign bodies entering the ear.

(iii) The tympanic membrane (tympanum):

Separates the tympanic cavity from the external auditory meatus. It is thin and semi-transparent, almost oval, though somewhat broader above than below. The central part of the tympanic membrane is called the umbo. The handle of the malleus is firmly attached to the membrane’s internal surface.

Functions of External Ear:

It directs sound waves towards the tympanic membrane. The sound waves produce pressure changes over the surface of the tympanic membrane. The cerumen (ear wax) prevents the entry of the foreign bodies into the ear.

2. Middle Ear:

It includes the following:

(i) The tympanic cavity, filled with air is connected with the nasopharynx through the Eustachian tube (auditory tube), which serves to equalize the air pressure in the tym­panic cavity with that on the outside.

ii) There is a small flexible chain of three small bones called ear ossicles— the malleus (hammer shaped), the incus (anvil shaped) and the stapes (stirrup shaped). The malleus is attached to the tympanic mem­brane on one side and to the incus on the other side.

The incus in turn is connected with the stapes, which is attached to the oval membrane covering the fenestra ovalis (oval window) of the inner ear. Malleus is the largest ossicle, however, stapes is smallest ossicle. Stapes is also the smallest bone in the body.

(iii) Two skeletal muscles, the tensor tympani attached to the malleus and the stapedius attached to the stapes, are also present in the middle ear. Stapedius is the smallest muscle in the body.

(iv) The middle ear is connected with the inner ear through two small openings closed by the membranes. These openings are (a) fenestra ovalis (oval window) as mentioned above and (b) fenestra rotunda (round window).

Answer 2

Explanation:

the outer ear is called pinna and is made of ridged cartilage covered by skin.the spinal shaped cochlea is part of inner ear,it tranforms sound into nerve impulse that travel to the brain.the fluid filled semicircular canal(labyrinth)attach to the cohlea and nerves in the inner ear