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The “Ear” is housed within the

TEMPORAL BONE
The Outer Ear Consists of:

 The Pinna -  External Auditory


cartilaginous, highly Canal (or external
variable in appearance, auditory meatus) - 2.5
some landmarks. 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
 Amplification / Filtering
 Protection
 Localization
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; Facial (VIIth cranial) nerve
2. The Tensor Tympani Helps open Eustachian tube
Middle Ear Functions

 Impedance Matching

 Filtering

 Acoustic Reflex
These sounds get through
the middle ear most
readily
INNER
EAR

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

(Both use Hair Cells)


Within S. Media is the Organ of Corti
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
 Bekesy’s Traveling Wave
 Active Tuning from OHCs
Afferent & Efferent Neurons
IHC activation alters firing rate
Afferent neurons have their cell
bodies in the Spiral Ganglion (4)
Major Components of the Central
Auditory Nervous System (CANS)
 VIIIth cranial nerve
 Cochlear Nucleus
<Trapezoid Body>
 Superior Olivary Complex Brainstem
 Lateral Lemniscus
 Inferior Colliculus Mid-brain
 Medial Geniculate Body Thalamus
 Primary Auditory Cortex Temporal Lobe
AUDITORY CORTEX

MEDIAL GENICULATE BODY

INFERIOR COLLICULUS

LATERAL LEMNISCUS

SUPERIOR OLIVARY COMPLEX

COCHLEAR NUCLEUS
Mid-Saggital View of Brain
Corpus 4th Ventricle
Callosum

Cerebellum

Thalamus Pons
Cortical Processing
 Pattern Recognition
 Duration Discrimination
 Localization of Sounds
 Selective Attention
Cerebral Dominance/Laterality
 Language Processing in the left hemisphere.
(Remember the right ear has the strongest
connections to the left hemisphere)

 Most people show a right-ear advantage in


processing linguistic stimuli

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