Anatomy and Physiology of the Ear

The Temporal Bone

Outer Ear
Middle Ear
Inner Ear
Cochlear Physiology
 Which Way?
Anterior/Ventral = toward the front
Posterior/Dorsal = toward the back
Lateral = toward the side
Medial = toward midline
Superior = toward upper surface (rostral)
Inferior = toward lower surface (caudal)
 Gotta Catch a Plane
Sagittal- dividing right
from left
Coronal (Frontal)
-dividing front from
back
Horizontal -dividing
up from down
The Temporal Bone - Part of the Skull
Temporal Bone:Lateral/Medial Views
The Temporal Bone houses the Ear
The Outer Ear Consists of:
The Pinna - cartilaginous, highly variable in
appearance, some landmarks.

External Auditory Canal (or external

auditory meatus) - 2.5 cm tube.
Pinna Landmarks
Helix
Antihelix
Concha
Tragus
Intertragal Notch
Antitragus
External Auditory Canal
lateral portion-cartilage
medial portion-osseous
lined with epidermal (skin)
tissue
hairs in lateral part
cerumen (ear wax) secreted
in lateral part.
Outer Ear Functions 1
Amplification / Filtering
-- increases sounds between 1500 and 7000
Hz by 10 to 15 dB
-- because of the resonance of
Concha -- 5000 Hz
E.A.Canal -- 2500 Hz
Outer Ear Functions 2
Protection
-- medial displacement of ear drum
-- curvature of canal
-- hairs
-- cerumen
-- skin migration
Outer Ear Functions 3
Localization
-- The ability to identify the location of a
sound source
-- (Will be covered more later)
 The
Middle
Ear:
A cleft within
the temporal
bone

Lining is mucous membrane

Tympanic Membrane separates it from EAC
Eustachian tube connects it to nasopharynx
Also Connected to Mastoid Air Cells
Middle Ear Structures
1- Malleus
2- Incus --Ossicles
3- Stapes
4- Tympanic Membrane
(Eardrum)
5- Round Window
6- Eustachian Tube
Middle Ear Muscles 1. The Stapedius
Attaches to Stapes
Contracts in Response to Loud sounds, chewing, speaking
Innervated by the Facial (VIIth cranial) nerve
Middle Ear Functions
Impedance Matching -- amplification of
sounds to overcome difference in
impedance between the air of EAC and the
fluid of the inner ear.
Filtering -- resonant frequency is
approximately 1000 Hz, functions as
bandpass filter.
Acoustic Reflex -- Contraction of Stapedius
muscle in response to loud sounds
Middle Ear Function
Impedance Matching is accomplished
through pressure increase produced by the
middle ear.
From 2 main effects:
Reduction in AREA
Increase in FORCE
Reduction in AREA
sound striking the (relatively large)
tympanic membrane
is delivered to the (much smaller) stapes
footplate
Areal Ratio = 18.6 to 1
Increase in FORCE
The malleus and incus act like a lever
Whenever there is a pivot:
Force x Length in = Force x Length out
Force is greater on short side (Think of
wheeled luggage)
Malleus manubrium = 1.3 times as long as
Incus long process
Leverage
Small force (babys weight) supports man
because of the difference in length on either side of
the pivot point
Increase in Pressure
Remember that Press. = Force/Area
force is increased 1.3 times
area is decreased 18.6 times

Pressure is increased 24.2 times (27.7 dB)

Other Key Middle Ear Function
Oval Window Isolation-- Sound striking the
tympanic membrane is delivered through
the ossicular chain to the oval window
Without the middle ear, both the oval and
round windows would receive sound energy
and energy would cancel out.
Middle Ear Filtering:
Band Pass filter
Resonant Frequency near 1kHz
Effect can be seen in Minimum Audibility
Curve (Figure 10.2)
Minimum Audibility Curve
(Figure 10.2)
Plot of threshold of detection (in dB SPL)
for tones as a function of frequency.
Shows:
best hearing around 1 kHz
poorer hearing below 500 Hz
and above 4000 Hz
Tympanometry
Acoustic measures of middle ear health
Made using an immittance (or impedance)
bridge:
PRESSURE PUMP/MANOMETER
MINIATURE SPEAKER
MICROPHONE
ALL CONNECTED THROUGH A SMALL
PROBE INSERTED IN EAR CANAL
Compliance: opposite of stiffness.
middle ear system is not massive, largely a
stiffness-controlled system.
Changes in stiffness/compliance have large
effects on functioning of system.
at point where air pressure in canal and
middle ear are equal the most sound will be
conducted through.
 Tympanogram:
A plot of middle ear compliance as a function of
ear canal pressure
Pressure is swept from +200 to -200 or -400 dPa
Should see peak at point where pressures are
equal
Tympanogram types:
A: peak between +100 and -200 dPa:
normal
C: peak beyond -200 dPa: neg pressure
B: no peak flat tymp: effusion
As: peak but shallow: stiff: otosclerosis
Ad: peak off scale: floppy: dysarticulation
Tympanogram Types
The Acoustic Reflex
Stapedius contraction measured as change
in compliance
Reflex arc:

peripheral ear,
VIIIth n.

Cochlear nucleus

superior olivary complex

VIIth n. to the middle ear

Reflex is bilateral.
Clinical Tests using Acoustic
Reflexes:
A.R. Threshold: how intense sound must
be to elicit the reflex?

A.R. Decay: Is the degree of a contraction

maintained throughout a 10 second
stimulus?
 INNER
EAR

Two Halves:
Vestibular--transduces motion and pull of gravity
Cochlear--transduces sound energy

(Both use Hair Cells)

Subdivision into spaces containing endolymph
(blue), and spaces containing perilymph (red)
Cochlea is Divided into 3 Scala
Scala Vestibuli
Reissners Membrane
Scala Media
Basilar Membrane
Scala Tympani

Helicotrema - the
opening between 2
outer Scala
Fluids filling the Inner Ear
Perilymph- in S. Vestibuli and S. Tympani
High Sodium / Low Potassium concentrations
Low Voltage (0 to +5 mV)
Endolymph- in S. Media
High Potassium / Low Sodium concentrations
High Positive Voltage (85 mV)
Cross-Section of the Cochlea

Third Turn

Second Turn

First Turn
A Cross Section Shows the 3 Scala
Within S. Media is the Organ of Corti
I = Inner Hair Cells P = Pillar Cells
O = Outer Hair Cells D = Deiters Cells
The Stereocilia on IHCs and OHCs

OHCs (at top)

V or W shaped ranks

IHC (at bottom)

straight line ranks
Cochlear Functions
Transduction- Converting acoustical-
mechanical energy into electro-chemical
energy.

Frequency Analysis-Breaking sound up into

its component frequencies
Transduction-
Inner Hair Cells are the true sensory
transducers, converting motion of
stereocilia into neurotransmitter release.
Mechanical Electro-chemical
Outer Hair Cells have both forward and
reverse transduction--
Mechanical Electro-chemical
Mechanical Electro-chemical
Frequency Analysis-the Traveling Wave
Bekesy studied cochleae from cadavers,
developed the Traveling Wave theory
1. Response always begins at the base
2. Amplitude grows as it travels apically
3. Reaches a peak at a point determined by
frequency of the sound
4. Vibration then dies out rapidly