Pines City Colleges

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY

E3.2EAR
mesenchyme in a spiral fashion until the
OUTLINE: end of the 8th week, when it has
I. INTERNAL EAR completed 2.5 turns
 Converts sound waves into nerve
impulses and registers changes in
equilibrium
II. MIDDLE EAR
 Sound conductor from external to
the internal ear
III. EXTERNAL EAR
 Sound-collecting organ

INTERNAL EAR A-B. development of otocyst C-E. cochlear duct. Note the
formation of ductus reunens & utriculosaccular duct
❖ Converts sound waves into nerve impulses and ❖ 7th week
registers changes in equilinbrium o Cells of the cochlear duct
differentiate into the SPIRAL
❖ First indication of the developing ear can be ORGAN OF CORTI
found in the embryos of approximately 22 days ❖ Transduces sound vibrations into
as a thickening of the surface ectoderm on each electrical signals for hearing
side of the rhombencephalon
❖ A connection between the cochlear duct
and the remaining portion of the saccule
OTIC PLACODES is maintained but confined to a narrow
❖ Invaginate rapidly and form the OTIC or pathway (DUCTUS REUNIENS)
AUDITORY VESICLES (OTOCYST) ❖ Mesenchyme surrounding the cochlear
❖ Cells from the otocyst differentiate and form duct soon differentiates into cartilage
ganglion cells for the statoacoustic ❖ 10th week
(vestibulocochlear) ganglia o Cartilaginous shell undergoes
❖ Each vesicles divides into: vacuolization and forms two
o Ventral component - gives rise to perilymphatic spaces
▪ Saccule ❖ SCALA VESTIBULI
▪ cochlear duct wk ❖ SCALA TYMPANI
o Dorsal component - forms the
▪ Utricle Ytibrrane
▪ semicircular canals
▪ endolymphatic duct
❖ Together, these epithelial structures form the
membranous labyrinth

Basilar
membrane

Formation of otic vesicle. Note the statoacoustic ganglion

Development of scala tympani and scala vestibuli. Note the
auditory nerve fibers and spiral ganglion
SACCULE, COCHLEA AND ORGAN OF CORTI

VESTIBULAR MEMBRANE
❖ 6th week
o Saccule forms a tubular out pocketing at its lower ❖ Separates the cochlear duct from the scala
pole vestibuli

BASILAR MEMBRANE
COCHLEAR DUCT
❖ Separates the cochlear duct from the scala
❖ Outgrowth that penetrates the surrounding tympani

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 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3.2EAR
❖ The lateral wall of the cochlear duct remains
attached to the surrounding cartilage by the
SPIRAL LIGAMENT
❖ Median angle is connected to and partly
supported by a long cartilaginous process, the
MODIOLUS, the future axis of the bony
cochlea
❖ INNER RIDGE
– Future spiral limbus
❖ OUTER RIDGE
– Forms one row of inner and three or
four rows of outer hair cells, the
sensory cells of the auditory system.
– TECTORIAL MEMBRANE A. Transverse section of a 7-week embryo in the region of the
▪ Fibrillar gelatinous substance rhombencephalon, showing the tubotympanic recess, the first
attached to the spiral limbus pharyngeal cleft, and mesenchymal condensation,
that rests with its tip on the foreshadowing development of the ossicles. B. Middle ear showing
hair cells the cartilaginous precursors of the auditory ossicles. Thin yellow line
in mesenchyme indicates future expansion of the primitive tympanic
ORGAN OF CORTI

8
❖ Sensory cells and tectorial membrane
❖ AUDITORY FIBERS OF CN VIII
UTRICLE AND SEMICIRCULAR CANALS
SEMICIRCULAR CANALS
cavity. Note the meatal plug extending from the primitive auditory
meatus to the tympanic cavity.
❖ originates in the endoderm
❖ Derived from the first pharyngeal pouch.
o This pouch expands in a lateral
direction and comes in contact with
the floor of the first pharyngeal cleft.

TYMPANIC CAVITY
❖ 6th week
o Flattened outpocketings of the o The distal part of the pouch, the
utricular part of the otic vesicle tubotympanic recess, widens and
❖ Central portions of the walls of these gives rise to the primitive tympanic
outpocketings eventually appose each other cavity
and disappear, giving rise to three o proximal part remains narrow and
semicircular canals forms the auditory tube
❖ One end of each canal dilates to form (Eustachian tube)
❖ crus ampullare ▪ Through which the tympanic
❖ crus nonampullare cavity communicates with
the nasopharynx
❖ CRISTA AMPULLARIS
o Contains sensory cells for OSSICLES
maintenance of equilibrium

❖ MACULAE ACUSTICAE
o Develop in the walls of the utricle
and saccule

❖ Impulses generated in sensory cells of

cristae and maculae as a result of change in
position of the body are carried to the brain
by VESTIBULAR FIBERS OF CRANIAL
NERVE

❖ STATOACOUSTIC GANGLION
A. Derivatives of the first three pharyngeal arches. Note the
o The ganglion splits into cochlear
malleus and incus at the dorsal tip of the first arch and the
and vestibular portions
stapes at that of the second arch. B. Middle ear showing the
o Supply sensory cells of the organ of
handle of the malleus in contact with the eardrum. The stapes will
Corti and those of the saccule,
establish contact with the membrane in the oval window. The wall
utricle, and semicircular canals
of the tympanic cavity is lined with endodermal epithelium.

MIDDLE EAR

2|Page Jennah,Elee
 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025
E3.2EAR
❖ Malleus and incus
o Derived from cartilage of the first
pharyngeal arch
❖ Stapes
o Derived from that of the second arch.
❖ Ossicles appear during the first half of fetal life
o Embedded in mesenchyme until the
eighth month, when the surrounding
tissue dissolves.
❖ The endodermal epithelial lining of the primitive
tympanic cavity then extends along the wall of the
newly developing space.
❖ The tympanic cavity is now at least twice as large
as before.
o When the ossicles are entirely free of
surrounding mesenchyme, the
endodermal epithelium connects them in
a mesentery-like fashion to the wall of
the cavity.
o The supporting ligaments of the ossicles
develop later within these mesenteries.
o Because the malleus is derived from the
first pharyngeal arch, its muscle, the
Tensor tympani
o Is innervated by the mandibular branch
of the trigeminal nerve.
❖ Stapedius muscle
o attached to the stapes
o innervated by the facial nerve
o the nerve to the second pharyngeal arch
❖ During late fetal life
o The tympanic cavity expands dorsally by
vacuolization of surrounding tissue to
form the tympanic antrum.
❖ After birth
o The epithelium of the tympanic cavity
invades the bone of the developing
mastoid process, and epithelium-lined air
sacs are formed (pneumatization).
❖ Most of the mastoid air sacs come in contact with
the antrum and tympanic cavity.
❖ Expansion of inflammations of the middle ear into
the antrum and mastoid air cells is a common
complication of middle ear infections.
Ear showing the external auditory meatus, the middle ear with its
ossicles, and the inner ear.
EXTERNAL EAR
EXTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS
❖ Develops from the dorsal portion of the first
pharyngeal cleft.
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EMBRYOLOGY
❖ At the beginning of the 3rd month
o Epithelial cells at the bottom of
the meatus proliferate, forming a
solid epithelial plate, the meatal
plug.
❖ In the 7th month
o meatal plug dissolves
o Epithelial lining of the floor of the
meatus participates in formation
of the definitive eardrum.
❖ Occasionally, the meatal plug persists until
birth, resulting in congenital deafness.
EARDRUM
❖ Tympanic membrane
o Made up of:
1. An ectodermal epithelial lining at
the bottom of the auditory
meatus
2. An endodermal epithelial lining of
the tympanic cavity,
3. An intermediate layer of
connective tissue that forms the
fibrous stratum.
❖ Major part of the eardrum
o firmly attached to the handle of
the malleus
❖ The remaining portion forms the separation
between the external auditory meatus and
the tympanic cavity.
AURICLE
❖ Develops from six mesenchymal
proliferations at the dorsal ends of the
first and second pharyngeal arches,
surrounding the first pharyngeal cleft.
❖ Auricular hillocks
o Three on each side of the external
meatus, later fuse and form the
definitive auricle.
❖ As fusion of the auricular hillocks is
complicated, developmental abnormalities
of the auricle are common. Initially, the
external ears are in the lower neck
region, but with development of the
mandible, they ascend to the side of the
head at the level of the eyes.
Jennah,Elee
 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3.2EAR
– In Down syndrome
o hearing loss may be caused by
sensorineural and/or conductive
abnormalities.
– Most cases caused by other factors are
characterized by sensorineural defects.
– These factors include:
✓ prenatal infections
o rubella cytomegalovirus,
o herpes simplex
✓ Prematurity
✓ Maternal diabetes
– Accutane (retinoids) can cause both
types of deafness.

 Stapes
A. Drawing of a 6-week-old embryo showing a lateral view of the o The most common ear ossicle to be
head and six auricular hillocks surrounding the dorsal end of the involved in conductive hearing loss
first pharyngeal cleft. o This fact may be due to its
B. Six-week-old human embryo showing a stage of external ear unique origin because its
development similar to that depicted in A. Note that hillocks 1, footplate is derived from neural
2, and 3 are part of the mandibular portion of the first crest cells and paraxial mesoderm.
pharyngeal arch and that the ear lies horizontally at the side of o Ankylosis
the neck. At this stage, the mandible is small. As the mandible ▪ Stapes fixation
grows anteriorly and posteriorly, the ears, which are located ▪ is the most common
immediately posterior to the mandible, will be repositioned into abnormality and usually
their characteristic location at the side of the head. involves both ears.
C–E. Fusion and progressive development of the hillocks into the 2. External Ear Defects
adult auricle. – Common
– Significant from the standpoint of the
CLINICAL CORRELATION psychological and emotional trauma
they may cause
HEARING LOSS AND EXTERNAL EAR – External ear defects serve as clues to
ABNORMALITIES examine infants carefully for other
abnormalities.
– All of the frequently occurring
1. Congenital Hearing loss chromosomal syndromes and most of
– May be caused by: the less common ones have ear
✓ abnormal development of the abnormalities as one of their
membranous and bony labyrinths characteristics
✓ malformations of the auditory
ossicles and eardrum 3. Preauricular Appendages and Pits
– Extreme cases:
o tympanic cavity and external meatus are • Preauricular Appendages
absent – Skin tags anterior to the ear
– May be caused by accessory hillocks
– May be due to: – Can occur when misexpression of
a. Sensorineural loss genes regulating development of the
– Due to abnormalities of the hair cells external ears results in duplications of
or auditory nerve ganglia tissue growth and differentiation.

b. Conductive hearing loss • Preauricular pits

– Due to structural defects in the – shallow depressions anterior to the ear
external ear canal, eardrum, or ear – It may indicate abnormal development
ossicles of the auricular hillocks
– In Treacher Collins syndrome
o malformations in the external ear
and ear canal and the ear ossicles
can all be involved in causing
varying degrees of conductive
hearing loss.

4|Page Jennah,Elee
 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3.2EAR

A. Almost complete absence (ANOTIA) of the external

ear. B. A small ear (MICROTIA) with abnormal features.
C. Abnormal ear with preauricular appendages (skin
tags). Note the slight depression and small hillock along
the line of the mandible. These are remnants of ear
development and indicate the path of the ear as it moved
to its normal position due to growth of mandible. D.
Preauricular pit.

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