Interior view of the ear

auditory canal   

(ord'it-or-ee)
see external auditory canal.

auditory nerve   

(ord'it-or-ee)
vestibulocochlear nerve (eighth cranial nerve); nerve of hearing and balance.

auditory ossicles   

(ord'it-or-ee oss'ik-uls)
the three small bones of the middle ear: malleus, incus and stapes, commonly known as the ossicular chain.

auricle   

(or'ik-ul)
the pinna or flap of the outer ear.

cerumen   

(si-roo'men)
wax secreted into the external auditory canal of the ear; helps to protect the tympanic membrane from foreign matter.

cochlea   

(kok�lee-ar)
a spiral tube of the inner ear, resembling a snail's shell, which contains the organ of Corti and is the essential organ of hearing.

cochlear nerve   

(kok�lee-ar)
that part of the eighth cranial nerve which is concerned with hearing.

equilibrium   

(e-kwi-lib�ree-um)
a state of balance.

Eustachian tube   

(yoo-stay�shun)
a conduit 3-4cm long from the middle ear to the nasopharynx .

external auditory canal   

(ord'it-or-ee)
the tube leading from the external opening to the tympanic membrane.

external ear   

the pinna and external auditory canal.

hair cells   

sensory cells of hearing located in the cochlea.

helix   

(hee'liks)
the outer, curved, fleshy ridge of the outer ear .

incus   

(ing�kus)
one of the three auditory ossicles; also called anvil due to its shape.

inner ear   

see internal ear.

internal ear   

consists of vestibule, semicircular canals, and cochlea; contains end organs of sound perception and equilibration.

lobule   

(lob'yool)
earlobe - the small mass of fatty tissue at the base of the outer ear.

malleus   

(mal�ee-uss)
one of the three auditory ossicles; hammer-shaped.

middle ear   

extends from the tympanic membrane to the oval window; contains auditory ossicles.

organ of Corti   

(kor'tee)
the true organ of hearing consisting of hair cells and their nerve fibres.

outer ear   

the auricle or pinna ; consists of elastic cartilage covered by skin; the lobule at the lower end is a small mass of fatty tissue.

oval window   

the membrane between the middle and inner ear.

pharyngotympanic tube   

(fa-ring-oh-tim-pan'ik)
Eustachian tube or canal; a tube extending from the middle ear to the nasal part of the pharynx.

pinna   

(pin�nah)
the portion of the outer ear visible at the side of the head.

round window   

membrane upon which sound waves are expended after passing hair cells.

semicircular canals   

three bony canals of the inner ear concerned with the maintenance of balance.

stapes   

(stay�peez)
one of the three auditory ossicles; stirrup-shaped.

tympanic membrane   

(tim-pan�ik)
the eardrum.

vestibule   

(ves�tee-byool)
the central cavity of the inner ear .