HUMAN EAR

ANATOMY OF EAR AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HEARING

COCHLEA
AND MECHANISM OF HEARING
1. Cochlea is a tubular duct
2. Middle ear communicates with Cochlea through the OVAL
WINDOW
3. It is structurally divided into three compartments:
A) an upper SCALA VESTIBULI
B) a middle SCALA MEDIA
C) lower SCALA TYMPANI
1. Scala vestibuli and scala tympani contain PERILYMPH(therefore
considered to be a part of bony labyrinth)
2. While scala Media contains endolymph(therefore considered to
be a part of membranous labyrinth)
PHYSIOLOGY OF HEARING
1. Auricle directs the sound waves onto the External auditory canal.
2. Sound waves strike on the Eardrum, eardrum vibrates.
3. Vibrations are transmitted to the malleus, which further transmit the vibrations to
the Incus and Stapes
4. Stapes are attached to the Oval window, which communicates with the Scala
Vestibuli at the Helicotreme.
5. Scala vestibuli communicates with Scala Tympani at Helicotrema at the tip of
cochlea.
6. As stapes strike on the oval window, vibrations are created in the perilymph in
the scala vestibuli.
7. Scala tympani also contains perilymph which further
communicates with round window.
8. Pressure in the scala Tympani pushes the round window out to
balance the pressure.
9. Due to the vibrations in the perilymph ( in the Scala Vestibuli),
the Basilar membrane, of the Scala Media vibrates.
10. As a result, endolymph flows between tectorial membrane
and hair cells, the steriocilia of sensory Hair(predominantly
inner) cells (columnar cells) hit the tectorial membrane, the
tiplinks widen, and the permeability to K+ ions increase.
11. K+ ions enter the hair cells(predominantly inner hair cells), it
gets depolarised. Opens the Ca++ channels. Entry of Ca++
ions move the synaptic bulbs towards the lower end where
the cell communicates with nerve endings.
12. This transmits the impulse to the cochlear branch of auditory
or vestibulo- cochlear nerve.
7. Thus the impulse is transmitted to the auditory nerve.

ORGAN OF CORTI
1. BASILAR MEMBRANE
2. 3 SETS OF OUTER HAIR CELLS
3. 1 SET OF INNER HAIR CELLS
4. TECTORIAL MEMBRANE
5. Central rod and tunnel of corti
VESTIBULE
AND MECHANISM OF BALANCE