What are the structures of the ear and their functions?
Key points
- Hearing and balance are the two main functions of the ear.
- The ear is divided into three parts: the external, middle and inner ears.
- The transmission of sound takes place in the external and middle ears.
- The inner ear houses the cochlea (organ of hearing) and the peripheral vestibular system (organ of balance)
What are 2 Functions of the ear?
The human ear, like that of other mammals, contains sense organs that serve two quite different functions: that of hearing and that of postural equilibrium and coordination of head and eye movements. Anatomically, the ear has three distinguishable parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear.
What nerve is in your ear?
Coming from the inner ear and running to the brain is the eighth cranial nerve, the auditory nerve. This nerve carries both balance and hearing information to the brain. Along with the eighth cranial nerve runs the seventh cranial nerve.
What’s the top of your ear called?
The medical term for the outer ear is the auricle or pinna. The outer ear is made up of cartilage and skin.
Which nerve is involved in hearing?
The vestibulocochlear nerve is responsible for the sense of hearing and balance (body position sense). The glossopharyngeal nerve enervates muscles involved in swallowing and taste.
What organ is connected to the ears?
The cochlea, the hearing organ, is located inside the inner ear. The snail-like cochlea is made up of three fluid-filled chambers that spiral around a bony core, which contains a central channel called the cochlear duct. Inside the cochlear duct is the main hearing organ, the spiral shaped organ of Corti.
What is the most important part of the ear?
middle ear
The middle ear is important because it is filled with numerous air spaces, which provide routes for infections to travel. It is also the location of the Eustachian tube, which equalizes the air pressure between the inner and outer surfaces of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
What is inside the human ear?
The inner ear is found inside the temporal bone, the hardest bone in the human body. The inner ear contains the spiral shaped hearing organ called the cochlea as well as the vestibule and semicircular canals which help with balance.
Is ear connected with the nose of human?
The ears, nose, and throat are located near each other and have separate but related functions. The ears and nose are sensory organs, which are necessary for the senses of hearing, balance, and smell.
How big is the human ear?
Researchers also found that the average ear is about 2.5 inches (6.3 centimeters) long, and the average ear lobe is 0.74 inches (1.88 cm) long and 0.77 inches (1.96 cm) wide. They also noted that the ear does indeed get larger as a person ages.
What is the internal anatomy of the ear?
The structures of the internal ear are located within the petrous part of the temporal bone and is composed of two parts – the bony and the membranous labyrinth. The bony labyrinth of the internal ear is comprised of the vestibule, semicircular canals and cochlea. The membranous labyrinth, which is enclosed by the bony labyrinth,…