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ESA 4 - Head and Neck > Anatomy of the Ear > Flashcards

Anatomy of the Ear Flashcards

1
Q

What is the ear?

A

The organ of hearing and balance

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2
Q

Where is the ear found?

A

Within the petrous part of the temporal bone

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3
Q

What does the petrous part of the temporal bone constitute?

A

\A large portion of the lateral area of the skull

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4
Q

What does the petrous part of the temporal bone house?

A

The cavities of the ear

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5
Q

What are the components of the temporal bone?

A
  • Squamous part
  • Petromastoid part
  • Tympanic plate
  • Styloid process
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6
Q

What does the petromastoid part of the temporal bone contain?

A

The middle and inner ear

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7
Q

What does the upper surface of the petromastoid part of the bone form?

A

Part of the floor of the middle and posterior cranial fossae

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8
Q

What is the part of the petromastoid part that forms the posterior cranial fossa is pierced by?

A

The internal acoustic meatus

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9
Q

What does the internal acoustic meatus transmit?

A

Facial and vestibulocochlear cranial nerves

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10
Q

Describe the inferior surface of the petromastoid part of the temporal bone?

A

Irregular

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11
Q

What does the inferior surface of the petromastoid part of the temporal bone contain?

A

The carotid canal

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12
Q

What is the purpose of the carotid canal?

A

Transmits the internal carotid artery

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13
Q

What is the mastoid process?

A

A large palpable landmark to which several muscles are attachedf

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14
Q

What is the cavity of the mastoid antrum?

A

A prolongation of the cavity of the middle ear

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15
Q

What extends into the mastoid process?

A

The cavity of the mastoid antrum, by intercommunicating air cells

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16
Q

What is the clinical significance of the communication between the mastoid antrum and the mastoid process?

A

Middle ear disease can spread by this route to cause mastoiditis

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17
Q

What does the tympanic plate consist?

A

Most of the external acoustic meatus

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18
Q

What does the free outer border of the tympanic plate do?

A

Provides attachment for the cartilage of the external ear

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19
Q

What does the tympanic plate do medially?

A

Fuses with the petrous part of the temporal bone

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20
Q

What does the external ear consist of?

A
  • Pinna/auricle
  • External acoustic meatus (ear canal)
  • Lateral surface of tympanic membrane
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21
Q

What is the functional of the external ear?

A

Collects, transmits, and focuses sound waves onto the tympanic membrane

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22
Q

What does the action of the external ear on the tympanic membrane cause?

A

The membrane to vibrate

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23
Q

Draw a picture of the pinna/auricle

A
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24
Q

Describe the pinna

A

Cartilaginous and covered with skin

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25
What is true of the elastic cartilages of the pinna?
They are arranged in a number of curved ridges
26
What is the outer rim of the ear called?
The helix
27
What is the small flap of cartilage of the ear called?
The tragus
28
What does the tragus do?
Guards the external acoustic meatus
29
What is the earlobe?
A fatty structure
30
What is the external acoustic meatus?
A skin-lined cul-de-sac
31
What shape is the external acoustic meatus?
Sigmoid shape
32
What is the clinical relevance of the sigmoid shape of the external acoustic meatus?
Need to pull ear up and back to straighten when examining
33
How long is the external acoustic meatus?
2.5cm
34
Describe the external acoustic meatus
* Outer 1/3 cartilaginous tube * Inner 2/3 bony canal
35
Where does the external acoustic meatus lie?
In the temporal bone
36
What is the external acoustic meatus lined by?
Skin
37
What is the purpose of the self cleaning function of the external acoustic meatus?
Keep pathway clear
38
What facilitates the self cleaning function of external acoustic meatus?
Arrangement of hairs and production of wax by the cartilaginous part
39
What does the cartilaginous part of the external acoustic meatus secrete?
Cerumen
40
What is cerumen?
Modified sebum
41
What does cerumen do?
Affords protection to the delicate meatal skin
42
What forms wax?
Discarded cells of the skin together with cerumen
43
What is the function of wax?
* Prevents objects entering deeper into the ear canal * Aids desquamation and skin migration out of canal
44
How can the external ear be visualised?
An otoscope
45
What does the fibrous tympanic membrane mark?
The border between the external and middle ear
46
How is the tympanic membrane arranged?
As a shallow cone with its apex pointing medially
47
Is the fibrous tympanic membrane transparent or opaque?
Neither, it is translucent
48
What is the result of the tympanic membrane being translucent?
It allows visulisation of some structures within the middle ear, *including the malleus*
49
What is attached to the malleus?
The apex of the eardrum
50
What is the pars tensa?
The taut surface area of the tympanic membrane
51
Draw a diagram of the tympanic membrane
52
What is the result of the pars tensa being stretched?
It vibrates in relation to airwaves as they hit the eardrum
53
What is the pars flaccida?
The loose connective tissue above the malleus
54
What is the handle of malleus?
Where the first ossicle is attached to the tympanic membrane
55
What does the middle ear, or tympanic cavity contain?
Ossicles
56
What do ossicles do?
Transmit vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear in the petrous part of the temporal bone
57
What are the names of the ossicles?
* Malleus * Incus * Stapes
58
What is the handle of the malleus attached to?
The tympanic membrane
59
What does the body of the malleus articulate with?
That of the incus
60
What does the incus articulate with?
Stapes
61
What do the stapes articulate with?
The bony labyrinth of the internal ear
62
Where does the stapes articulate with bony labyrinth of the internal ear?
At the oval window
63
What are the articulations of the ossicles by?
Synovial joints
64
What do the articulations of the ossicles of the ear serve to do?
Relay vibrations encountered by the tympanic membrane to the internal ear
65
What is the function of the ossicles?
Amplify and concentrate sound energy from the eardrum to the oval window
66
What does the oval window run into?
The epitympanic cavity
67
What does the middle ear communicate with anteriorly?
The nasopharynx
68
How does the middle ear communicate with the nasopharynx?
Via the pharyngotympanic (Eustachian) tube
69
What is the Eustachian tube part of?
The upper respiratory tract
70
What is the clinical relevance of the Eustachian tube?
It is a potential route for infection to spread to the middle ear
71
What does the Eustachian tube allow for?
* Equalisation of air pressure between middle ear and atmosphere * Important in ventilation and drainage of mucus from the middle ear
72
What is the equilisation of air pressure between middle ear and atmosphere necessary for?
Transfer of sound energy to internal ear
73
What state is the Eustachian tube usually in?
Closed
74
How is the Eustachian tube intermittently opened?
By the pull of attached palate muscles when swallowing
75
What does the middle ear communicate with posteriorly?
Mastoid air cells
76
What is the inner ear also known as?
Labyrinth
77
What does the inner ear consist of?
A series of channels hollowed out of the petrous temporal bone surrounding the membranous labyrinth
78
What does the membranous labyrinth contain?
Fluid called endolymph
79
What does the perilymph seperate?
The bony and membranous labyrinths
80
What does the labyrinth contain?
* Vestible * Semicircular ducts and canals * Cochlea * Spiral organ of Corti
81
What is the vestible involved in?
Maintaining our sense of position and balance
82
What does the vestible contain?
* Utricle * Saccule * Three semicircular canals
83
What do the utricle and saccule contain?
Receptors that respond to rotational acceleration and static pull of gravity
84
What are the semicircular ducts and canals?
Components of the balance system
85
What does the semicircular ducts and canals communicate with?
Vestible
86
How are the semicircular ducts and canals arranged?
Perpendicular with each other
87
What do the semicircular ducts and canals contain?
Receptors that respond to rotational acceleration in three different planes
88
What is the cochlea?
A fluid filled tube
89
What sets up movements of fluid into the coclear?
Movements at the oval window
90
What do waves of fluid cause in the cochlea?
Movement of special sensory cells within the cochlear duct which fire action potentials
91
What is the cochlea the clinical site of?
Sensorineural hearing loss
92
What does the cochlear contain?
The cochlear duct
93
What does the cochlear duct accommodate?
The spiral organ of Corti
94
What is the cochlear concerned with?
Hearing
95
How is the cochlear duct associated with hearing?
It converts sound vibration into electrical signals (action potentials) which is perceived as sound
96
What does the spiral organ of Corti contain?
The receptors of the auditory apparatus
97
How is vibration created by sound waves at the tympanic membrane translated into electrical signal in the vestibulocochlear nerve?
1. Vibration of the ossicles (stapes at the oval window) sets up vibrations/movement in the cochlear fluid 2. Sensed by nerve cells in the cochlear duct (part called the spiral organ of Corti) 3. Movement of these receptors in organ of Corti trigger action potentials in CN VIII Go to brain

ESA 4 - Head and Neck (30 decks)

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