The Ear

Lecture presentation
Histology and Cell Biology
2023-2024
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lecture, students should be able to:

1. Recognize the 3 main parts of the ear

2. Describe the histology of the external ear
3. Discuss the contents of the middle ear cavity
4. Describe the histology of the Eustachian tube
5. Recognize the components of the inner ear (bony and membranous labyrinth).
6. Describe the cochlear duct, the histology of the organ of corti
7. Describe the utricle and saccule, the histology of the crista ampularis
 The Ear

The ear is specialized organ for hearing and balance (equilibrium).

It is divided into 3 parts:

I-The external ear II-The middle ear III -The inner ear

Equilibrium
Hearing
1- The external ear : which receives sound
waves from the surrounding environment.

2- The middle ear : which transforms

sound waves into mechanical vibrations.

3- The inner ear: where the mechanical

vibrations generate specific nerve impulses
that pass through the central nervous system
and interpreted as sound. The inner ear also
contains the vestibular organ, which
maintains balance and equilibrium.
 I- External ear
It is composed of :
1- Auricle. 2- External auditory meatus.
3- Tympanic membrane ( ear drum).

1- The auricle: it is irregularly shaped appendage from the lateral surface of the
head . It has 2 main parts:-
• Ear pinna : which consists of irregularly shaped funnel plate of yellow elastic
fibrocartilage covered on both sides by thin skin contains fine hair , sweat glands
and sebaceous glands.
• Lobule of the ear: It is lower end of the auricle which formed of adipose
C.T. covered by thin skin. It is highly vascular and poorly innervated.
- The auricle collects and focuses sound waves toward the external auditory
meatus.
Ear pinna
2- External auditory meatus: This the canal leading to
the tympanic membrane. It is surrounded by yellow
elastic cartilage (outer 1/3) and by
bone (inner 2/3). Both are lined by thin skin .
• The outer 1/3 has hairs, sebaceous glands and a type
of modified coiled tubular apocrine sweat gland
called (ceruminous glands).
• Hairs and cerumen probably form sticky barrier that
prevent entrance of foreign bodies deep into
meatus .

- Excessive accumulation of cerumen (impacted

cerumen) → plug meatus → conductive deafness.
3- The tympanic membrane (ear drum): It is
obliquely situated across the deepest end of the
external auditory meatus, separating the external ear
from middle ear.
The malleus (one of three small auditory ossicles of
the middle ear) attaches to the inner side of the
tympanic membrane.

Function: The tympanic membrane vibrates in

response to sound waves , so converting sound waves
into mechanical vibration that is transmitted to the
bony ossicles of the middle ear.

Perforation of the tympanic membrane may

cause transient or permanent hearing loss.
The tympanic membrane (ear drum):

Structure :
-It is formed of a core of dense white fibrous connective tissue.
The connective tissue core is covered by epithelium on both sides.
• The outer surface of the tympanic membrane is covered with
a thin layer of stratified squamous epithelium.

The inner surface of the tympanic membrane facing middle ear is

covered by simple cubical epithelium continuous with that lining of the
middle ear cavity.
 II- The Middle Ear :(Tympanic cavity)

- It is an air filled space located in the temporal bone.

-It communicates posteriorly with the mastoid air sinus&
anter. with the auditory tube (Eustachian tube).
 Middle ear
• It is lined with simple cuboidal epithelium, the lamina propria is attached to the
underlying periosteum.
Contents:
Auditory ossicles
They are 3 tiny compact bones (malleus, incus and stapes) which transmit the
vibrations of the tympanic membrane to the perilymph of the internal ear.
Muscles of the ossicles
Two striated small muscles are attached to the malleus (tensor tympani) and to the
stapes (stapedius).
The chorda tympani branch of facial nerve (traverse middle ear)
Windows
The medial wall of the middle ear cavity
has 2 membrane covered openings at
the border of the middle and the inner ears.
Oval window: The foot (base) of the stapes
is attached to its margin.
Round window: It is below and behind the
oval window. It is closed by an elastic
membrane called secondary tympanic
membrane.
*Function of the ossicles:

(They magnify the vibration received from

the tympanic membrane & conduct them to
the oval window to the inner ear)

*Function of the muscles:

Loud noise
reflex contraction of these muscles
limits the movement of tympanic membrane &
ossicles
prevent damage of the inner ear (attenuation
reflex).
Auditory ( Eustachian) tube:
• It’s narrow flattened tube arises from anterior wall of
tympanic cavity and directed downward , forward and
medially to nasopharynx (connect the middle ear cavity with
the nasopharynx).

• This tube is about 3.5 cm long .

• The posterior 1/3 of the Eustachian tube close to
tympanic cavity is bony part , formed of compact bone
and is lined with simple columnar epithelium ( partially
ciliated ).

The anterior 2/3 of the Eustachian tube close to

nasopharynx is cartilagenous part, formed of yellow
elastic fibrocartilage and is lined with pseudostratified
columnar ciliated epithelium , about one fifth of which
with goblet cells.
-The wall of the auditory tube is usually collapsed .
Swallowing.
-It opens during blowing the nose.
yawning.
relieving the pressure.
 Medical applications

*Conductive deafness:
Caused by any condition that prevents conduction of sound waves
from the external ear , through the middle ear, into the organ of
corti.
Ex. by foreign body, otitis media, otoscelerosis
( fixation of the footplates of stapes into the oval window).
 III -The inner ear (labyrinth)

- The internal ear is located in the petrous portion of the temporal bone and consists
of 2 labyrinths:
(a)- Bony labyrinth
(b)- Membranous labyrinth

(a)- Bony labyrinth:

-It consists of a series of canals and cavities within the petrous portion of the temporal
bone.

- The bony labyrinth is filled with perilymph (clear fluid similar in ionic
composition to extracellular fluids, has high sodium & low potassium conc.
and has very low protein content).
 Bony labyrinth
Vestibule Three semicircular canals Cochlea
1 –Vestibule
It is an irregular small central bony cavity housing the 2 membranous sacs :
utricle and saccule. The oval window lies in lateral wall of vestibule

2- Three semicircular canals

-They are 3 bony canals (superior , posterior and lateral canals)
enclose three membranous semicircular.

- Each canal is located at right angle to the other two.

- Each canal has one expanded end, called ampulla.

(b) -The Membranous Labyrinth
- It is a system of sacs and tubes enclosed within the cavities of bony labyrinth and nearly have
its shape.
-Membranous labyrinth is formed of thin sheath of vascular connective tissue lined with simple
squamous epithelium except in certain areas which covered with specialized neuroepithelial
structures responsible for hearing and equilibrium.

-The membranous labyrinth is surrounded by perilymph and is filled with endolymph

(a viscous fluid which is similar in ionic composition to intracellular fluids has low sodium
and high potassium content).
-Membranous labyrinth is composed of two divisions:-
1 Cochlear labyrinth ( contains cochlear duct)
2 Vestibularlabyrinth, composed of:
a- Utricle and saccule: prsent in the vestibule
b- Three semicircular ducts lie within the semicircular canals
 (1)Cochlear labyrinth
• There are 2 membranes extend within the cochlear vestibular membrane
tube:-
• The vestibular membrane
•The basilar membrane

basilar membrane

Wednesday, 21
April 3, 2024
• So, the vestibular and basilar membranes subdivide the cochlear tube into 3 compartments:-

a- Scala vestibuli: upper portion above the vestibular membrane, filled with perilymph .
b- Cochlear duct (Scala media): An intermediate triangular, filled with endolymph
and contains the spiral organ of corti (sepecialized neuroepithelial organ for hearing).
Scala tympani: lower portion below the basilar membrane, filled with perilymph .

• Both scala vestibuli and scala tympani are lined with simple squamous epithelium.
 Organ of corti

• It is the specialized neuroepithelial organ for hearing, resting on the basilar membrane inside the cochlear duct
(scala media).
• It consists of :
1 Several types of supporting cells
2 Hair cells (Sensory cells)
3 Supporting cells: All the supporting cells rest on the basilar membrane. Their cytoplasm contain bundles
of microfilaments and microtubules as a cytoskeleton to provide support, they include :
• Inner and outer pillar cells: they are tall cells with narrow apical ends and broad bases attached to the
basilar membrane. The pillar cells forms the boundaries of a space called tunnel of Corti.
• Inner and outer phalangeal cells: they are tall columnar cells with basal oval nuclei. Their
apical ends are tightly bound to one another and to hair cells to makes support for hair cells.
- The inner phalangeal cells form one row adjacent to the inner pillar cells. They completely
surround the inner hair cells.
The outer phalangeal cells form 3-4 rows. Their apical portions are cup-shaped structure that surrounds only
the basal one-third of the outer hair cells completely and send from the lateral aspect of each cell an apical
cytoplasmic processes (made of microtubules ) which extends on the outer surface of hair cells to be
attached to their apical edges by junctional complexes.
• Hensen’s cells:
•Cells of Claudius overlying cells of Böttcher:
•Border cells :
2. Hair cells (sensory cells):
- Hair cells are specialized neuroepithelial cells provided with long apical microvilli
(stereocilia) embedded in glycoprotein homogenous gelatinous material
(called otogelin and tectorin) contains radially oriented collagen bundles,
forming the tectorial membrane overlies the organ of Corti.
These microvilli act as receptors.

• Inner hair cells, form a single row of goblet–shaped hair cells with centrally located
nuclei
supported by the inner phalangeal cells.

• Outer hair cells, are arranged in 3 or 4 rows of elongated columnar cells with basal
oval nuclei supported by outer phalangeal cells.
 Organ of Corti
Supporting cells
Vestibular membrane

Outer hair cells Tectorial membrane

Border cells
Boettcher cells
Claudius cells

Hensen cells

Spiral ganglion
Spiral ligament

Pillar cells Inner hair cells

Outer Phalangeal cells Basilar membrane
Tunnel of Corti Inner Phalangeal cells
 2)- Vestibular labyrinth: a- Utricle and saccule
- Both utricle and saccule are formed of thin layer of
connective tissue lined with simple squamous epithelium and are
attached to the periosteum of bony vestibule by thin vascular
connective tissue strands.
- The 2 sacs contain endolymph and surrounded by perilymph.
-In the lateral wall of utricle and in the floor of saccule , there are
specialized neuroepithelial structure called maculae.

- Both macula utriculi and macula sacculi are 2 – 3 mm in diameter

and have the same basic histological structure, which are
supporting cells and hair cells.
1- Supporting cells , are tall columnar cells with apical short
microvilli and have basal oval nuclei resting on the basement
membrane and present between the hair cells. Junction complexes
connected supporting cells to each other and to the hair cells .
2- Hair cells, are receptor cells enclosed between the upper parts of the supporting cells. Their
bases associated with numerous nerve endings (derived from the vestibular division of the
vestibulo-cochlear nerve).
-There are two types of hair cells:-
• Type I hair cells: are flask – shaped cell, has rounded base and narrow neck region with basal
oval nuclei.

• Type II hair cells: are cylindrical (columnar) with basal oval nuclei.
• Both types of hair cells are characterized by apical rigid microvilli (sterocilia) and a single long
immotile true cilium ( kinocilium).
• Otolithic membrane: The macula is covered by a thick, gelatinous glycoprotein layer,
probably secreted by the supporting cells .The free outer surface of gelatinous membrane
contains calcium carbonate crystals deposits called otoliths.
Function of maculae: Both maculae act as receptor for sense of head position and register
linear acceleration and deceleration of the head to maintain the body equilibrium.
 b- Semicircular ducts
-These semicircular ducts are enclosed in 3 semicircular canals, and are kept in places by thin
strands of connective tissue fixing them to periosteum of bony canals.

-These ducts contain endolymph and surrounded by perilymph.

-They are formed of thin sheath of vascular connective tissue lined by simple sequamous
epithelium , except in ampulla which have an elongated ridge like neuro-epithelial structure called
cristae ampullaris.

Crista ampularis is structurally similar to macula ( type I and type II hair cells between the
supporting cells), except that the gelatinous glycoprotein membrane (cupula) is thicker , has a
conical form and is not covered with any salt crystals .

Function: Crista ampularis are sensor for rotational acceleration of the head in order to maintain
body equilibrium.
1-The external ear consists of
A.malleus, incus and stapes
B.vestibule, semicircular canals and cochlea
C.pinna, auditory canal and ear drum
D.Eustachian tube and oval window
E-Cochlear duct

2- The middle ear consists of:

A.malleus, incus and stapes
B.vestibule, semicircular canals and cochlea
C.pinna, auditory canal and ear drum
D.malleus and pinna
E. Cochlear duct
3- Respiratory tract infection can reach the
tympanic cavity through:
a)Auditory meatus.
b)Tympanic membrane.
c) Eustachian tube.
d)Oval window.

4-A thin, semi-transparent, flexible membrane is known as

A.ear lobe
B.ear canal
C.ear drum
D. ear pinna
E. Semicircular canal
5-A patient comes in having had repeated colds
and infections. Problems in his ear are shown to
be due to accumulation of fluid in the middle
ear. This is due to a blockage of the:
a. Saccule
b. Utricle
c. External ear
d. Eustachian tube
6-Which cell type is the receptor cell within the organ of Corti?
a. Cells of Hensen
b. Hair cells
c. Inner border cells
d. Outer phalangeal cells
e. Inner pillar cells

7-Concerning the inner hair cells of the organ of Corti:

a-Forms three to five rows of cells
b-They rest on top of inner phalangeal cells.
c-They have kinocilium
d-They rest on basilar membrane
e-They maintain balance and equilibrium
 REFERENCES

❑ Pawlina, W. (2016): A text of Atlas with cell and molecular biology. 7th ed. Lippincott, Williams
and Wilkins.

❑ Junqueira, L.C.; Carneiro, J. and Kelly, R.O.(2014): Basic Histology. 11th ed. Appleton and
Lange. New York.

❑ Gartener, L.P. and Haiat, J.L. (2011): C.V.S. In: Colour Text Book of Histology, 4th ed.
Saunders Elsevier.

❑ Web sites: as pubmed, world histology Periodicals present in the library of the department of
histology