 The Ear has 3 parts: External, Middle and the

Internal ear.
 The External Ear

 (1) Pinna: Helps to collect sound waves and

to localize the source of sound. In lower
animals Pinna can be moved by muscular
actions in the direction of sound source to
collect sound in humans these muscles have
little action.
 (2) External Auditory canal- 2.5 cm long
(i)helps in transporting the
sound waves to the middle ear (ii)
secrete wax and oil trap the foreign
bodies.
 The Middle Ear
 An air filled cavity within the
temporal bone that consist of
 (i)Tympanic Membrane.(ear drum)
Functions–
 Pressure Receiver i.e extremely
sensitive to pressure changes
 Resonator i.e. it starts vibrating
freely when the sound waves strike
 Critically dampens the sound waves
i.e.as soon the sound will stop T.M.
vibrations are stopped immediately
 (ii) Ear Ossicles
 Malleus-resembles a hammer.The handle of
malleus is connected to the inner surface of
T.M.
 Incus-It articulate with head of malleus

 Stapes- looks like stirrup. The head of

stapes articulates with incus & the oval foot
plate contact the oval window of the coclea
 function= to magnify the intensity of sound
by 1.2 to 1.3 times by lever action.
 Middle ear mucles(a) Tensor tympani=
attached to the neck of malleus .its
contraction tenson of tympanic
membrane (b) Stapedius: attached to
the neck of stapes and on contraction it
pulls the foot plate of stapes out from
the oval window
 Function= both the muscles can be
reflexley activated by loud sounds
amplitude of sound vibration of the
tympanic membrane protection of
the internal ear from loud
sounds(Tympanic Reflex. reaction
time40-160sec)
 Malleus IncusEpitympanic recess
Superior

Anterior

Pharyngotym-Tensor Tympanic Stapes Stapedius

panic tube tympani membrane muscle
muscle (medial view)
 Role of Middle Ear
 The ear ossicles result in
magnification of sound intensity by
1.2-1.3 times
 The effective surface area of
T.M.=55sq.mm and that of oval
window is 3sq.mm,thus reduction of
the area is by @17times(55/3)
 Total magnification=22times(17Х1.3)
 Effective transfer of sound energy
from air to fluid medium is difficult
because most of the sound is reflected
as a result of the different mechanical
properties of the two media. The
middle ear thus act as an impedance
matching device by amplifying the
sound pressure
 Amplification of sound intensity is

greatest between 1000-3000 Hz

.sounds below 16Hz or above 20000Hz
are not amplified at all.
 External ear Middle ear Internal ear

Air
External Malleus, incus, Fluids in cochlear canals
Tympanic Oval
Pinna acoustic stapes
membrane window Upper and middle Lower
meatus (ossicles)
Pressure

Time
Spiral organ
One Amplitude Amplification
(of Corti)
vibration in middle ear
stimulated
 Boney labyrinth and membranous
labyrith
 Membranous labyrinth comprises one
vestibule(utricle and saccule) and three
semicircular canals.-concerned with
equilibrium. One Coclea concerned with
hearing
 TECTORIAL MEMBRANE STATIONARY

STEROCILIA

HAIR
CELLS

AUDITORY
NERVE

BASILAR MEMBRANE…..VIBRATES
 TECTORIAL MEMBRANE STATIONARY

STEROCILIA
BEND

AUDITORY
NERVE HAIR
CELLS

BASILAR MEMBRANE…..VIBRATES
 Stapes
Scala Cochlear
vestibuli nerve
Oval Perilymph
window

Round Scala Basilar Cochlear

window tympani membrane duct
(a)

Base Apex Basilar

membrane
Relative 500 Hz
lengths
of basilar
fibers
within 4000 Hz
different
regions
of basilar
membrane
Hz Hz Hz Hz 24,000 Hz
20,000 1500 500 20
(b) (High notes) (Low notes) (c)
 INFERIOR
COLLICULUS

SUPERIOR
OLIVE

VENTRAL
COCHLEAR
NUCLEUS

VENTRAL
COCHLEAR
COCHLEA NUCLEUS MIDLINE
TEMPORAL
TEMPORAL
CORTEX
CORTEX

MEDIAL MEDIAL
GENICULATE GENICULATE

INFERIOR INFERIOR
COLLICULUS COLLICULUS

SUPERIOR
OLIVE

MIDLINE
 Medial
geniculate
body of
thalamus

Primary auditory
cortex in temporal lobe

Inferior colliculus

Lateral lemniscus

Superior olivary
nucleus (pons- Midbrain
medulla junction)

Cochlear nuclei

Vibrations Medulla

Vestibulocochlear
Vibrations nerve
Spiral ganglion
of cochlear nerve
Bipolar cell

Spiral organ
(of Corti)
 Conduction deafness:
 Transmission of sound waves through middle
ear to oval window impaired.
 Impairs all sound frequencies.
 Hearing aids.

 Sensorineural (perception) deafness:

 Transmission of nerve impulses is impaired.
 Impairs ability to hear some pitches more than
others.
 Cochlear implants.
 Entrance to mastoid antrum
in the epitympanic recess
Auditory
ossicles
Malleus Semicircular
(hammer) canals
Incus
(anvil) Vestibule
Stapes
(stirrup)
Vestibular
nerve

External Cochlear
acoustic nerve
meatus

Cochlea
Tympanic
membrane

Oval window
(deep to stapes)
Pharyngotympanic
Internal (auditory) tube
(b) jugular vein Round window
 Conduction deafness:
 Transmission of sound waves through middle
ear to oval window impaired.
 Impairs all sound frequencies.
 Hearing aids.

 Sensorineural (perception) deafness:

 Transmission of nerve impulses is impaired.
 Impairs ability to hear some pitches more than
others.
 Cochlear implants.
 Table 9–1. Common Tests with a Tuning Fork to Distinguish between Nerve and
Conduction Deafness.

Weber Rinne Schwabach

Method Base of vibrating tuning Base of vibrating tuning Bone conduction of patient
fork placed on vertex of fork placed on mastoid compared with that of
skull. process until subject no normal subject.
longer hears it, then held in
air next to ear.

Normal Hears equally on both Hears vibration in air after

sides. bone conduction is over.

Conduction deafness (one Sound louder in diseased Vibrations in air not heard Bone conduction better
ear) ear because masking effect after bone conduction is than normal (conduction
of environmental noise is over. defect excludes masking
absent on diseased side. noise).

Nerve deafness (one ear) Sound louder in normal Vibration heard in air after Bone conduction worse
ear. bone conduction is over, as than normal.
long as nerve deafness is
partial.
Auditory acuity is commonly
measured with an
audiometer. This device
presents the subject with
pure tones of various
frequencies through
earphones. At each frequency,
the threshold intensity is
determined and plotted on a
graph as a percentage of
normal hearing. This provides
an objective measurement of
the degree of deafness and a
picture of the tonal range