Outer ear

The outer ear includes the auricle/pinna and the external auditory meatus. It funnels sound waves in the air onto the tympanic membrane, which not only vibrates in response but also divides the outer and middle ear. Blood supply mainly comes from the posterior auricular artery (a branch of the external carotid artery). Auricle The auricle is the visible part of the ear outside the head … Continue reading Outer ear

Ear

The ear is an organ of hearing and balance. It is subdivided into the outer (external), middle and inner (internal) ear. The outer ear funnels sound waves onto the tympanic membrane, which vibrates in response. This vibration is mechanically conducted via the ossicles of the middle ear to the cochlea of the inner ear where it is transformed into the electrical signals that can be … Continue reading Ear

Inner ear

The inner ear is supplied by the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) and contains the sense organs for hearing and balance. It consists of the osseous labyrinth (consisting of the vestibule, semicircular canals, and cochlea), which contains the membranous labyrinth. For balance, the utricle and saccule located in the vestibule and are responsible for static equilibrium, while the semicircular ducts in the canals are concerned with … Continue reading Inner ear

Middle ear

The middle ear (typmanic cavity) is a hollowed-out space in the petrous temporal bone. Primarily, its function is to transmit vibrations of the tympanic membrane via the ossicles to the inner ear. It is supplied by branches of the internal carotid and maxillary arteries, whilst innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve through the tympanic plexus. Boundaries of the middle ear Its roof is a plate of … Continue reading Middle ear