Auditory system

Ear
- external ear ( auricle)
- middle ear
- internal ear
1) External ear
- Auricle (pinna)
- External acoustic meatus
External ear is separated from middle ear by tympanic
membrane.
Tympanic membrane attached to tympanic sulcus of the tympanic
plate.
Tympanic sulcus is oval in shape and has a small gap called
tympanic notch. Here it is devoid of the Tympanic Sulcus. At this
notch the sulcus gets thicker on the inside and has two folds
called anterior and posterior malleolar fold. Part of the tympanic
membrane between the two malleolar folds is called Pars Flacida
whilst rest of membrane is called Pars Tensa.
TM surfaces:
- outer (concave), lined by thin skin
- inner (convex), lined by low ciliated columnar epithelium
TM layers
- Outer cuticular layer (from ectoderm)
- Middle fibrous (mesoderm). Radiating and circular fibres
- Inner mucous layer(endoderm)
Only part of body where three germ layers are fused together.
Maximum convexity on tympanic membrane is called UMBO and
attached to handle of malleus.

Outer surface of Tympanic membrane:

- Supplied by Auriculo temporal nerve(branch of mandibular
nerve )
- Auricular branch of Vagus
Inner surface of Tympanic membrane:
- Tympanic branch of CN9
TM can be divided into four quadrants

Antero superior quad

Antero inferior quad light falls here called (cone of light)
Postero superior quad
Postero inferior quad

On the surface of the ASQ and PSQ the chorda tympani nerve
runs on it.
Otitis media infection od middle ear cavity, only area to cut to
drain contents of middle ear cavity is the PIQ, so you dont
damage the cone of light and the chorda tympani nerve.

2) MIDDLE EAR
Small cavity filled with air, between external ear and internal ear
Measures 15mm vertically and ant/post
Transversely 6mm upperpart, 2mm middle part, 4mm lower
part.
Middle ear has six walls:
1. Anterior wall (Carotid wall)
Has opening called canal for tensor tympani, tensor
tympani muscle passes through here.
Middle of anterior wall has opening called opening of
auditory tube, through which middle ear cavity
communicates with nasopharynx.
Lower to this it Has 2 openings superior and inferior
Carotico tympanic foramen, through which corresponding
nerves pass into middle ear cavity.
ICA surrounded by plexus of sympathetic nerves. Two of
which comes out are superior and inferior Carotico
tympanic nerves which pass through the Carotico
tympanic foramen and enters the middle ear cavity
where it lies on medial wall. It joins tympanic branch of
CN9 to form tympanic plexus.
From tympanic plexus nerve emerges called lesser
petrosal nerve.
2. Posterior wall Opening here called mastoid antrum through which
middle ear cavity communicates with mastoid air cells.
Below this mastoid antrum there is small depression
called Fossa Incudis which lodges short process of incus.

Below this is a small conical projection called pyramid. To

apex of pyramid there is an attachment of the stapedius
muscle.

3. Roof (tegmental wall)

Roof formed by bone here is called Tegmen tympani.
Tegmen tympani also forms posteriorly the roof of mastoid
antrum.
Tegmen tympani separates middle cavity from medial
cranial fossa
4. Floor - (jugular wall),
Has internal jugular vein and its expansion is called
superior bulb.
The junction between floor and medial wall has a small
opening (foramen) called tympanic canaliculus, which
transmits a tympanic branch of cn9.
5. Lateral wall tympanic membrane
6. Medial wall
Centre of medial wall there is a round elevation present
called promontory produced by 1st turn of cochlea.
Postero superior to this there is oval window called
Fenestra vestibulli which is covered always by foot plate of
stapes.
Postero inferior to this there is another opening Fenestra
cochlea (round window) which is in relation to vestibule of
internal ear.
Surrounding the promontory there is a plexus of nerve
called tympanic plexus (tympanic branch of CN9 and
Carotico tympanic nerves).

 On the superior part of promontory close to posterior wall

there is a canal running called facial canal, through which
facial nerve passes and comes out at the stylomastoid
foramen.
Facial canal has two parts the horizontal and the vertical
part.
Contents of middle ear
-

Air
Ear ossicles - Malleus, Incus, Stapes (smallest bones)
Ligaments of ear ossicles
Blood vessels - arteries and veins
Tympanic plexus

Blood supply
Major
- Anterior tympanic artery (branch of max artery)
- Posterior tympanic artery (branch of posterior auricular
artery)
Smaller
- Superior tympanic artery (branch of middle meningeal
artery)
- Inferior tympanic artery ( branch of ascending pharyngeal
artery)
- Tympanic branch (from artery of pterygoid canal)
- Carotico-tympanic artery

3) INNER EAR
Internal ear is located in the petrous part of temporal bone
3 bony parts:
- Cochlear
- Vestibule
- Semi-circular canal (anterior and posterior)
3 Membranous parts (present within the bony part but separated
from each other by perilymph)
Includes:
- Semi-circular duct of cochlear
- saccule & utricle - vestibule
- semi-circular duct - semi-circular canal
Perilymph
- Endolymph is a subtype of perilymph and is present in the
membranous part.
In cochlear canal there is a thin bony plate called the spiral
lamina. The spiral lamina thus divides the cochlear canal in two
parts where the area above it is called Scala vestibuli and that

below is called Scala tympani, two spaces communicate with each

other in the anterior part via a small opening called Helicotrema.
Bony thickening in vestibule called vestibular crest dividing it into
3 recesses
- spherical recess
- elliptical recess
- @ bifurcation its called cochlear recess
Vestibule is then attached to the semi-circular canal.
3 semi-circular canals (anterior superior, posterior and lateral)
open into vestibule via 5 openings.
Specialised membranous part of internal ear:
In the duct of cochlear:
- It is lined by membrane hair cells in two layers - outer and
inner
- This membrane of hair cells is called the Organ of Corti
and it is a receptor for sound.
Medial wall of saccule & utricle:
- Are specialised with hair cells and has the receptor for
static balance called the Maculae.
Semi-circular duct:
- At the point where it opens into utricle it also shows
membranous thickening of specialized hair cells.
- Also has receptor for kinetic balance called the Cristae.

Auditory pathway
Sounds waves passes from external ear and comes to the
tympanic membrane when the tympanic membrane starts
vibrating, it is going to move the ear ossicles and cause them to
vibrate.
The air waves are transmitted from the middle ear cavity and
because of the vibration the intensity of the air waves are
increased ten times in the middle ear cavity.
Then it passes to the internal ear, and the air waves are
converted into the liquid waves because of the presence of the
endolymph in the membranous labyrinth.
Here at the membranous labyrinth when the liquid waves comes
to the (organ of corti, maculae and the cristae) and an action
potential is generated. Information is then carried to a nearby
ganglion
Spiral laminae is in continuation with basilar membrane and on
basilar membrane the organ of corti is situated. Cilia is present on
the hair cells. The cilia is closely related to the Membrana
Tectoria.
When endolymph start vibrating the basilar membrane also starts
vibrating, and the hair cells come in complete contact with the

membrane tectoria. Because of this the action potential is

generated.
Spiral ganglion is connected to peripheral process of the hair cells
and on the other side spiral ganglion is continuous with cochlear
nerve.

Bipolar cells of the spiral ganglion(acts as the 1 st order

neuron)
Cochlear nerve from Spinal ganglion then goes and relays to
the dorsal and ventral cochlear nucleus in the medulla (2 nd
order neuron).
Fibres then ascend upwards to the pons (fibres from ventral
cochlear nucleus crosses and fibres from dorsal cochlear
nucleus ascend ipsilateral) and relays to the superior olivary
nucleus.
In the pons there is also trapezoid nucleus where the fibres
also relay.
After relaying in pons the two sets of nuclei the fibres
ascends upwards into the mid brain (as lateral lemniscus)
Here they relay in the tectum of the mid brain at the nucleus
of inferior colliculus.
From nucleus of inferior colliculus ascends and relays in the
MGB. MGB they continue as auditory radiation to the
auditory cortex (area 41/42).

Damage to auditory pathway:

Test via tuning fork.
Can be due to nerve damage (cochlear nerve damage) or
due to infection in middle ear cavity
If bony conduction > air conduction then there is damage to
middle ear cavity (infection).
Damage to cochlear nerve both conduction are lost.