Submitted by,

ANOOP. B
Natural Science ,
Reg. No. 13375008

Sound is the creation of
particles moving. Sound waves
move in a longitudinal wave, or
in a parallel direction to the
energy that is being
transported. Due to the back
and forth movement of
longitudinal motion, there are
moments of high air pressure
(compression) and moments of
low air pressure (rarefaction).
The distance between each
moment of compression and
each moment of rarefaction is
called a wavelength. These
waves can also be referred to as
pressure waves because of the
deference between the moments
of high and low pressure.
The shell of the human ear, the
pinna or auricle, is the portion of
the ear in which people can see and
is considered part of the outer ear.
The main purpose of this cartilage is
to collect sound. It acts as a funnel:
collecting the sound and amplifying
it down to be directed into the ear
canal. During the collection process,
some sounds are enhanced and the
pinna deciphers the direction in
which the sound was created. The
pinna works differently for high and
low frequencies. In the case of low
frequencies, sound is bounced
directing into the ear canal. For high
frequencies though, sounds are
reflected in at a slight delay known
as phase cancellation and causing
other frequencies to drop. This
creates what is known as the pinna
notch.
The ear canal, also known as the external acoustic (or auditory) meatus, is
only about 2 centimeters in length. It is considered part of the outer ear.
The main purpose of the ear canal is to amplify sound waves to be received
by the middle ear. It is a passage between the pinna and the eardrum and
helps to protect the ear from infection. The portion closest to the pinna
contains nerve endings and is covered with sensitive skin. Further into the
ear canal are small hairs that help to filter debris. With the help of sweat
glands (which produce earwax) and electrostatically charged wax fibers
called cerumen strands, the inner ear is well protected.
The ear drum, or the tympanic
membrane, is the key to hearing.
It is considered either a part of
the outer ear or middle ear. The
drum vibrates when it is hit by
sound waves and turns the sound
energy into mechanical energy.
Once these sound waves have
been changed into mechanical
energy they are transferred to the
next bones of the middle ear.
There are three layers that make
up the eardrum. The layers
consist of: a layer of skin, a layer
of fibrous and elastic material,
and a layer that has a mucus
producing lining. The ear drum is
held into place by the annulus (a
fibrocartilaginous ring).
The malleus, which means
hammer in Latin (hence the
nickname), is the first tiny bone
that makes up the middle ear.
There are three of these tiny
bones are called ossicles and are
the three smallest bones in the
human body (the term may be
applied to any small bones
throughout the body). The
hammer is attached to the inner
surface of the eardrum by the
manubrium (handle) and
transmits the vibrations of the
eardrum to the incus by the
head. The manubrium has both a
lateral and an anterior process.
The space between the
manubrium and the head is
called the neck.
The incus is the second of the
tiny bones within the ear. It is
named so for its shape, which
looks like an anvil (in Latin, incus
means anvil). The incus is the
ossicle that connects the malleus
to the stapes. Like the malleus, it
transmits vibrations through the
middle ear. It receives vibrations
from the hammer and transfers
them to the stirrup. The incus is
divided into three parts: a body
and two processes. The head of
the incus is in contact with the
head of the malleus. There are
also three processes that make
up the incus: a lenticular process
and both a short and long
process.
The final of the ossicles of the
middle ear is the stapes. It is
known as the stirrup due to its
shape and is also the smallest
bone in the human body. The
stapes is the connection between
the middle ear and the inner ear
by connecting the incus and
oval window together. It is
comprised of four parts. The
footplate connects and covers
the oval window. The head is in
contact with the lenticular
process of the incus. Then there
is an anterior crus and a
posterior crus on either side of
the bone that connect the head
to the footplate.
The cochlea itself is the
auditory portion of the inner
ear. The name comes from
the Latin or Greek words for
snail or spiral shell. The
cochlea is a very complex
portion of the ear, containing
many very important parts in
the process of hearing. For
the most part, the cochlea is a
hollow, spiraled chamber of
bone. It is filled with a watery
liquid which moves with the
vibrations received by the
middle ear. When the fluid
moves small hairs are
triggered to convert the
motion into an electric single.
The actual process of receiving and sending the
vibrations is complex. The stapes transmits the
vibrations to the fenestra ovalis or oval window which
is on the outside of the cochlea. The oval window
vibrates the fluid inside the cochlea, known as
perilymph. In turn this causes movement of the hairs
within the organ of Corti. The thousands of hair cells
within the organ of Corti vibrate and send electronic
signals. The frequency of the sounds being received
effects which location of hair cells are moved. The
higher the frequency, the closer to the entrance of the
cochlea the hairs will move, due to stiffness in the
basilar membrane.
Very strong frequencies can actually cause the hair
cells to die. This is the a common cause of hearing
loss.
It can also be noted that there is a difference between
hair used for hearing between different species. While
humans have inner and outer hair cells, birds have tall
and short hair cells.
The semicirular canals are, like the
cochlea, filled with fluid called
endolymph. They are attached to
the cochlea and help in
maintaining balance. There are
three canals: the horizontal
semicircular canal (or the lateral
semicircular canal), the superior
semicircular canal (or the anterior
semicircular canal), and the
posterior semicircular canal. Each
one detects a different movement
of the head. The horizontal canal
detects the horizontal movement
of the head and the superior and
posterior detect when the head
moves vertically. As the skull
moves, the endolymph is moved
and rushes past little hairs known
as cilia which send signals to the
brain.
The tympanic cavity is the small cavity
for which the bones of the middle ear
are housed. (Picture to the left)
The Eustachian tube (or auditory or
pharyngotympanic tube) links the
pharynx to the middle ear. It prevents
pressure buildup in the middle ear. This
pressure is released by letting a small
amount of air through while yawning,
swallowing, and chewing gum, among
other ways. This tube also drains mucus
that has built up in the middle ear.
(Picture above)
Otitis Media is caused by Eustachian tube
dysfunction. Due to the tube not
transferring air as it should, pressure builds
up and sucks fluid from the lining of the
middle ear. There are four kinds of otitis:
serous otitis, secretory otitis, acute otitis
media, and chronic otitis media.
Cholesteamtoma is when skin cells grow in
the wrong place within the middle ear and
mastoid. The ossicles are often destroyed
when the skin mass expands.
Otosclerosis is an ear disease where a soft
bone starts growing around the footplate of
the stapes. This causes the bone not to
move like it should, creating conductive
hearing loss which is often repairable. If
this soft bone replaces other parts,
sensorineural hearing loss can occur which
cannot be repaired surgically.
Menieres disease is caused by an imbalance of
fluid in the inner ear, normally in excess. This
causes sudden hearing loss, vertigo, ringing,
and/or pressure. If left untreated, it may
progress to total hearing loss.
Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor between
the inner ear and the brain that can cause
vertigo, hearing loss, and loss of function of the
facial nerve.
Ears can also become infected by fungus. Otitis
externa or an ear infection is caused by many
factors: becoming wet due to swimming,
sweating, or humidity; insertion of foreign
objects; chronic dermatological disease; or
other trauma to the ear canal. There are many
symptoms including inflammation, pain,
tinnitus (ringing of the ear), and even hearing
loss that can come from an ear infection. There
are also many home remedies that can cure an
infection, but if it persists a doctor should be
consulted.
http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00386/hearing/ear/index.htm - for all slides
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-parts-of-the-human-ear.html - for all slides
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/u11l1c.cfm - for what is sound?
http://audilab.bmed.mcgill.ca/~daren/3Dear/mid1.html - for The Hammer, The Anvil,
and The Stirrup
http://www.hearnet.com/features/feature_articlepumpup.shtml - for The Cochlea
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10863/ - for The Semicircular Canals
http://www.whonamedit.com/synd.cfm/1463.html - for Other Parts of the Ear
http://www.affoto.com/eardisease.html - for Infections and Diseases of the Ear

Pictures from:
http://www.umm.edu/otolaryngology/ear_infections.htm - Otitis media
http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patients/?page=ent_ear_otosclerosis Otosclerosis
http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patients/?page=ent_ear_cholesteatoma Cholesteatoma
http://www.mayoclinic.org/acoustic-neuroma/enlargeimage5277.html - Acoustic neuroma
http://www.wilsonear.com/education/balance/menieresdisease.html - Menieres disease
This is the finished picture. The entire thing is done in colored pencil. It is
approximately 20 inches by 20 inches. The picture was based off of two pictures:
http://www.arthursclipart.org/medical/senseorgans/anatomy%20of%20the%20ear.gif
And
http://s581.photobucket.com/albums/ss260/icancook30907/?action=view&current=
sound-
waves.jpg&newest=1#!oZZ11QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs581.photobucket.com%2Fal
bums%2Fss260%2Ficancook30907%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dsound-
waves.jpg%26newest%3D1