GENERAL FEATURES

Collection of structures for hearing

and balance
Has 3 components:

External ears
Middle ears
Internal ears

Functions:

Equilibrium
Hearing

EXTERNAL EAR

3 major components:
Auricle (pinna)
Funnellike plate of elastic cartilage
sandwiched between 2 layers of skin
Ceruminous glands cerumin

External Auditory Meatus

Elastic cartilage (1/3)+bones (2/3)

Tympanic Membrane (eardrum)

Epidermis,dense connective tissue,

cuboidal epithelium

Auricle or pinna
Semicircular
canal
Utricle
Incus
Malleus
Stapes
Saccule
Auditory nerve
Ductus
endolymphaticus
Subdural sac
Intermediate scale
of cochlea
Tympanic
membrane
Lobule
External ear

Oval
window
Round
window

Middle
ear

perilymph

Inner
ear

Diagram of an ear, showing the relations of

the external, the middle and the inner ear.

MIDDLE EAR

In a cavity in temporal bone

Communicate with nasopharynx by:
Auditory (eustachian) tube

Elastic cartilage

Mastoid air cells

Medial: oval & round windows

Auditory ossicles

Malleus
Incus
Stapes

Mucosa: Simple squamous to cuboidal cells

Subdural space
Subarachnoid space
Semicircular
ducts

Ampullae
Endolymphatic sac
Endolymphatic
duct

Ve
st
ib

ul
e

le
c
i
r
Ut

Perilymphatic duct
Helicotrema
Scala vestibuli

Saccule

Mastoid
cavities

Oval window
External
auditory
meatus

Ductus
reunions

Scala media

Scala tympani
Round window
Stapes
Cochlea
Incus
Auditory tube
Malleus
Tympanic membrane

Schematic drawing illustrating the vestibulocochlear organ and the

path of sound waves in the external, middle and internal ear.
Components of the internal ear are shown in color.

Epithelium of tympanic
surface
Circular fibers
Radial fibers

Tympanic cavity

Epidermis of drum - head

Subepidermal layer

External auditory canal

Epidermis of canal

Mucous membrane

Blood vessels

Bone

Radial fibers of
annulus fibrosus
Diagrammatic sketch of a part of the human tympanic membrane
(low-power, cut in cross section). It shows the relation of the drum
membrane to the external auditory canal and to the tympanic cavity
and the attachment of the membrane.

INTERNAL EAR

Bony Labyrinth
A series of spaces within the petrous
portion of the temporal bone

Membranous Labyrinth
Continous epithelium lined series of
cavities of ectodermal origin

2 fluids:
Endolimph (within membranous
labyrinth)
Perilimph (between the membranous
and bony labyrinth)

 Consist of 2 mechanoreceptors:
Cochlea (hearing)
Vestibular organ (equilibrium)
Subdural space
Subarachnoid space
Semicircular ducts

Ampullae
Endolymphatic sac
Endolymphatic duct
le
ric
t
U

Perilymphatic duct

Ve
st
ib
ul
e

Helicotrema
Scala vestibuli

Saccule
Ductus
reunions

Mastoid
cavities

Scala media

Oval window
External auditory
meatus

Round window
Stapes
Incus
Malleus

Scala tympani
Cochlea
Auditory tube

Tympanic membrane
Schematic drawing illustrating the vestibulocochlear organ and the path of sound waves in the
external, middle and internal ear. Components of the internal ear are shown in color.

VESTIBULAR ORGANS

Bony: Vestibule & semicircular

canals
Membranous: special sensory
organ, 2 major cell type:
Hair cells (I&II)
Supporting cells

THE
THE STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE OF
OF MACULAE
MACULAE
Otoliths
Gelatinous Layer

Supporting
cells

Receptor
Cells

Nerve

Vestibule
Housing utricle & saccule
Sensory macula
Otoliths (statoliths)

Semicircular canals

3 thin bony canals

3 planes at right angles to each other
3 semicircular ducts
Ampullae: contains a sensory crista ampullaris
Conical gelatinous layer of each
cristaCupula

Histophysiology
Histophysiology
Histophysiology
of
of
the
the
Inner
Inner
Ear
Ear
Histophysiologyof
ofthe
theInner
InnerEar
Ear

a.
a. Vestibular
Vestibular Functions
Functions
Top :

Cupula

Schematic drawing of
the structure of the
crista ampullaris.
Receptor
Cells

Bottom :
Supporting
cells

Nerve
Semicircular canal
Ampulla

Rest

Acceleration

Movements of the
cupula in an ampullary
crista during rotational
acceleration. Arrows
indicate the direction
of fluid movement.

COCHLEA

Houses the cochlear duct

Modiolus
Auditory epithelium (Organ of Corti)
Outer tube: Simple squamous epithelium
Ovalround window

Inner tube: Cochlear duct

Skala mediaendolymph

Spiral organ of Corti

COCHLEA
Cochlear duct
uncoiled
Cochlear duct in situ

Vestibular
membrane

Spiral lamina
Spiral organ of Corti
Supporting cells
Sensory cells

Scala vestibuli
Stria Vascularis
Scala media
Internal spiral
tunnel

Tectorial
membrane
Spiral limbus

Outer hair cells

Spiral
ligament
Inner hair cells
Basilar membrane

Pillar cells

Inner tunnel
Scala tympani

Spiral ganglion
Osseous spiral
laminae

Radial
Radialsection
sectionof
ofhuman
human organ
organ of
of corti,
corti,from
from
the
theupper
upper end
endof
ofthe
thefirst
firstcoil
coil
Outer hair cells

Tectorial
membrane

Vestibular lip

Outer tunnel
Cells of Hensen
Inner hair cell
Inner
tunnel

Border cell
Internal spiral
sulcus

Outer pillar Inner pillar

Spiral ligament
cell
cell
Tympanic lip
Outer phalangeal cells
Vas spirale
Cochlear nerve
Inner phalangeal cell

Organ of Corti