INNER EAR

ANATOMY

1. VESTIBULAR SYSTEM

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Inner Ear: End organs of two sensory systems

Inner
Ear

Vestibular Auditory

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Introduction
Anatomy of cochlea

• Cochlea is a snail shaped bony structure that contain sensory

organs of hearing.

• The cochlea in humans has a little more than a 2- ½ turns.

Uncoiled, cochlea has length of 3.5 cm.

• Cochlea together with vestibule is enclosed in temporal bone

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• Together they are referred as labyrinth (because of its
similarity to the intricately winding cave).

• The bony structure is named as osseous or bony

labyrinth and it in further encases membranous
labyrinth.

• The membranous labyrinth is filled with a fluid called

Endolymph

• The osseous labyrinth is filled with a fluid called

Perilymph

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THE OSSEOUS (BONY) LABYRINTH

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 • THE OPENINGS TO THE OSSEOUS
LABYRINTH:

1. Oval window
2. Round window
3. Cochlear aqueduct
4. Vestibular aqueduct
5. Openings to the brain cavity (through which the
nerve and vascular supply of the labyrinth enter).

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• The oval window accepts the footplate of the
stapes and opens medially into the vestibule.

• Vestibule is about 4.0 mm in diameter and ovoid in

shape.

• The snail-shaped cochlea lies anterior and slightly

inferior to the vestibule and is approximately 5.0mm
high and 9.0 mm in diameter at its base.

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• Posterior to the vestibule are the three semicircular
canals, lying at right angles to one another, each
about 1.0 mm in diameter.

• The entire inner surface of the bony labyrinth is

lined with an epithelial membrane (periosteum) that
is probably responsible for the secretion of the fluid
that fills the bony labyrinth, the Perilymph

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THE MEMBRANOUS LABYRINTH

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• The membranous labyrinth consists of a series
of communicating sacs and ducts that are
suspended in the bony labyrinth.

• The membranous labyrinth is filled with an ultra

filtrate of blood known as Endolymph which is
similar to Perilymph, but has an ionic
composition similar to intracellular fluid.

• In places the membranous labyrinth is adherent

to the walls of its bony confines by delicate tabs
of tissue.

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VESTIBULE (BALANCE ORGAN)

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VESTIBULE:

• Vestibule forms central portion of bony labyrinth.

• It is continuous with semicircular canals & the

cochlea.
• Its ovoid in shape (egg shape) with a length of 5
mm (antero - posterior) & 5mm vertical and a
diameter of 4 mm.
• It contains two balance organs: Utricle and
Saccule.
• They are concerned with linear acceleration, and
gravity effects.

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• The semicircular canals, located behind the
vestibule, widen anteriorly into five sac like
structures, which open into the somewhat
elongated utricle.

• These widening are the ampullae's, they contain

the sensory receptors for rotational acceleration or
angular acceleration.

• The most important connection between the areas

of hearing and balance is the ductus reuniens,
which joins the membranous labyrinth between the
cochlea and the utricle.

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• The cochlear aqueduct leads from the vicinity of the
round window in the scala tympani to the subarachnoid
space medial to the dura of the cranium, unites the
perilymphatic space near the base of the cochlea with
the subarachnoid space beneath the temporal bone

• The vestibular aqueduct is a narrow bony canal

(aqueduct) that runs through the skull, connecting the
inner ear (vestibule) to the cranial cavity-hence its
name.

• Running through this bony canal is a membranous

"tube" called the endolymphatic duct. Like other parts
of the inner ear, the endolymphatic duct is filled with a
fluid, appropriately called Endolymph. 19
• This duct then courses through the bony vestibular
aqueduct and dumps into the endolymphatic sac, which
lies between the inside of the skull and the membranes
that cover the brain.

• The two aqueducts facilitate fluid exchange and

regulation between the two labyrinthine fluids
(Perilymph and Endolymph) and the cerebrospinal fluid
space and the endolymphatic sac, respectively and
hence have been implicated in the regulation of
hydraulic pressure in the inner ear.

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SEMI CIRCULAR CANALS
• Superior/anterior vertical
• Posterior/posterior vertical
• Lateral/horizontal

• The semicircular canals lie in three planes

perpendicular to one another forming a right angle
to each other

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LATERAL OR HORIZONTAL CANAL

✔ The lateral or horizontal canal (external semicircular

canal) is the shortest of the three canals. Movement
of fluid within this canal corresponds to rotation of the
head around a vertical axis (i.e. the neck), or in other
words rotation in the transverse plane.

✔ This occurs, for example, when you turn your head to

the left- and right-hand sides before crossing a road.

✔ It measures from 12 to 15 mm., and its arch is

directed horizontally backward and laterally; thus
each semicircular canal stands at right angles to the
other two.
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Its ampullated end corresponds to the upper
and lateral angle of the vestibule, just above
the oval window, where it opens close to the
ampullated end of the superior canal; its
opposite end opens at the upper and back part
of the vestibule.

The lateral canal of one ear is very nearly in the

same plane as that of the other.

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Superior semicircular canal

The superior or anterior semicircular canal is a part

of the vestibular system and detects rotations of the
head in around the lateral axis, or in other words
rotation in the sagittal plane. This occurs, for
example, when nodding your head.

It is 15 to 20 mm in length, is vertical in direction,

and is placed transversely to the long axis of
the petrous part of the temporal bone, on the
anterior surface of which its arch forms a round
projection.

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It describes about two-thirds of a circle.

Its lateral extremity is ampullated, and opens into

the upper part of the vestibule; the opposite end
joins with the upper part of the posterior canal to
form the crus commune, which opens into the upper
and medial part of the vestibule.

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POSTERIOR SEMICIRCULAR CANAL

The posterior semicircular canal is a part of

the vestibular system that detects rotation of the head
around the antero-posterior (sagittal) axis, or in other
words rotation in the coronal plane.

This occurs, for example, when you move your head to

touch your shoulders, or when doing a cartwheel.

It is directed superiorly, as per its nomenclature, and

posteriorly, nearly parallel to the posterior surface of
the petrous bone.

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POSTERIOR SEMICIRCULAR CANAL

The posterior semicircular canal is a part of

the vestibular system that detects rotation of the head
around the antero-posterior (sagittal) axis, or in other
words rotation in the coronal plane.

This occurs, for example, when you move your head to

touch your shoulders, or when doing a cartwheel.

It is directed superiorly, as per its nomenclature, and

posteriorly, nearly parallel to the posterior surface of
the petrous bone.

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• The vestibular aqueduct is immediately medial
to it.

• The posterior canal is part of the bony

labyrinth and is used by the vestibular
system to detect rotations of the head in the
coronal plane.

• It is the longest of the three canals, measuring

from 18 to 22 mm.

• Its lower or ampullated end opens into the

lower and back part of the vestibule, its upper
into the crus commune.
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AMPULLA OF SEMICIRCULAR
CANAL
• It has 5 openings, all entering into sac like utricle.

• The membranous ampullae contain small

aggregations of connective tissue; upon which are
situated highly developed ciliated sensory cells, the
crista ampularis.

• The cilia of these cells are embedded in a

gelatinous mass, which contains minute crystalline
grain of carbonate of lime. This mass is known as
cupula.
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• The cupola and the hair cells forms the sense
organ located in each ampularis.

• The organ responds to very slight movements

of head.

• The hair cells are supplied by the vestibular

branch of the acoustic nerve.

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UTRICLE
• The utricle is an irregular membranous sac located
on the medial wall of the vestibule.

• Its sensory walls are composed of connective

tissue lined internally by a simple squamous /
cuboidal epithelial layer that rests on a typical basal
lamina.

• The connective tissue layer contains fibroblasts, a

small number of melanocytes, and blood vessels.

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• The sensory region of the utricle, the macula
is ovoid in shape and is oriented in horizontal
plane.

• The macula contains a no. of crystals

embedded in it known as stataconia.

• The thickness of the utricular membrane is

0.026mm and the maximum pressure it can
withstand is 210.6mmHg.

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SACCULE
• Saccule is another membranous sac located on the
medial wall of the bony vestibule.

• It is flattened and irregular in shape and is oriented

perpendicular to the utricle.

• Histologically, the walls of the saccule are similar to

the walls of the utricle.

• The macula of the saccule, like in the utricle, is

composed of supporting cells and sensory hair
cells.
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• The thickness of the saccular membrane is
0.015mm & the maximum pressure it can withstand
is 64mmHg.

• The Saccule & Utricle communicate indirectly by

way of the utricular & saccular duct which joins to
form a common endolymphatic duct.

• It courses through the vestibular aqueduct to end in

a blind pouch located between the layers of the
duramater.

• The saccule and the cochlear duct communicates

directly by the means of canal reuniens or ductus
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