Auditory system Auditory system The acoustic reflex (or stapedius reflex) is an involuntary muscle contraction that occurs in the middle ear of mammals in response to high-intensity sound stimuli. ...more on Wikipedia about "Acoustic reflex"
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) (previously known as "Central Auditory Processing Disorder" (CAPD)) is not a hearing impairment, but a random inability to process what is heard. ...more on Wikipedia about "Auditory processing disorder"
The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing. ...more on Wikipedia about "Auditory system"
The basilar membrane within the cochlea of the inner ear separates two liquid filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani (see figure). The fluids in these two tubes, the endolymph and the perilymph are very different chemically, biochemically, and electrically. Therefore they have to be kept strictly separated. This separation is the main function of the basilar membrane in the hearing organ of all land vertebrates. A leakage between the two tubes, due to an injury, causes a disruption or even a total breakdown of hearing in that ear. ...more on Wikipedia about "Basilar membrane"
Bone conduction is the conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of the skull. Some hearing aids employ bone conduction. ...more on Wikipedia about "Bone conduction"
Cavum tympani (the middle ear) is built up mainly of three bones, the malleus, incus, and stapes. ...more on Wikipedia about "Cavum tympani"
Named after the Latin word for snail shell, the cochlea is a coiled, tapered tube containing the auditory branch of the mammalian inner ear. Its core component is the Organ of Corti, the sensory organ of hearing. ...more on Wikipedia about "Cochlea"
An ear is an organ used by an animal to detect sound waves. The term may refer to the entire system responsible for collection and early processing of sound (the beginning of the auditory system), or merely the externally-visible part. Not all animals have ears in the same part of the body. ...more on Wikipedia about "Ear"
The ear canal or external auditory meatus is a tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The ear canal extends from the pinna to the eardrum and is about 26 mm in length and 7 mm in diameter. Size and shape vary among individuals. This is an important factor to consider when fitting hearing protectors. The ear canal protects the eardrum and acts as a resonator, providing about 10 dB of gain to the eardrum at around 3,300 Hz. The net effect of the head, pinna, and ear canal is that sounds in the 2,000 to 4,000 Hz region are amplified by 10 to 15 dB. Sensitivity to sounds is greatest in this frequency region and noises in this range are the most hazardous to hearing. The outer foundation of the ear canal is cartilage covered with skin that contains hairs and glands that secrete wax. The hairs and wax ( cerumen) help prevent foreign bodies, such as insects or dust, from entering the ear canal. ...more on Wikipedia about "Ear canal"
The tympanic membrane, colloquially known as the eardrum, is a thin membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles. ...more on Wikipedia about "Eardrum"
Earwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, is a yellowish, waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and many other mammals. It plays a vital role in the human ear canal, assisting in cleaning and lubrication, and also provides a degree of protection from bacteria, fungus, and insects. A comprehensive review of the physiology and pathophysiology of cerumen can be found in Roeser and Ballachanda (1997). Excess or impacted cerumen can press against the eardrum and/or occlude the external auditory canal and impair hearing. ...more on Wikipedia about "Earwax"
The fenestra ovalis or oval window is a membrane-covered ...more on Wikipedia about "Fenestra ovalis"
Hair cells are the sensory cells of both the auditory system and the vestibular system in all vertebrates. In mammals, the auditory hair cells are located within the organ of Corti on a thin basilar membrane in the cochlea of the inner ear. They derive their name from the tufts of stereocilia that protrude from the apical surface of the cell, a structure known as the hair bundle, into the scala media, a fluid-filled tube within the cochlea. Mammalian cochlear hair cells come in two anatomically and functionally distinct types: the outer and inner hair cells. Damage to these hair cells results in decreased hearing sensitivity, i.e. sensorineural hearing loss. ...more on Wikipedia about "Hair cell"
The organ of Corti is the organ in the inner ear of mammals that contains the auditory sensory cells, the so-called hair cells. ...more on Wikipedia about "Organ of Corti"
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are the three smallest bones in the human body. They are contained within the middle ear space and serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid filled labyrinth ( cochlea). The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate to severe hearing loss. ...more on Wikipedia about "Ossicles"
An otolith, (oto-, ear + lithos, a stone) or otoconium is a structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear. It is comprised of a combination of a gelatinous matrix and calcium carbonate crystals. Otolith crystals are relatively dense and heavy - they are connected to the rest of the body by the sensory processes of the macular cells. In fish, otoliths can be used for age determination, showing rings of different growth summer/winter, like tree rings. ...more on Wikipedia about "Otolith"
The pinna is the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head. We often use the pinna, which is also called the auricle, for hanging earrings and resting eyeglasses, pencils, and cigarettes; but the evolutionary purpose of the pinna is to collect sound. It does so by acting as a funnel, amplifying the sound and directing it to the ear canal. While reflecting from the pinna, sound also goes through a filtering process which adds directional information to the sound (see sound localization, head-related transfer function, pinna notch). Notably, the filtering of the human pinna also selects for sounds in the frequency range of human speech. ...more on Wikipedia about "Pinna"
The tuba auditiva is a part of the human ear. Its main function is to ventilate the cavum tympani (middle ear). It is 3.5 cm long and it functions by opening during swallowing or gasping and it is built up by stratified epithelia and connective tissue. ...more on Wikipedia about "Tuba auditiva"
Tympanoplasty is reconstructive surgery for the tympanic membrane. ...more on Wikipedia about "Tympanoplasty"
The vestibulocochlear nerve is the eighth of twelve cranial nerves and also known as the auditory nerve. It is the nerve along which the sensory cells (the hair cells) of the inner ear transmit information to the brain. It consists of the cochlear nerve, carrying information about hearing, and the vestibular nerve, carrying information about balance. The auditory nerve is also known as the acoustic nerve. ...more on Wikipedia about "Vestibulocochlear nerve"
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