ANAT 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Temporal Bone, Middle Ear, Ossicles
19 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
2 main functions: hearing - transduction of sound vibrations by the ear"s sensory receptors into electrical signals is 1000x faster than the response to light by the eyes photoreceptors (hearing is faster than seeing) o. Sound travels through air to tympanic membrane and transmits energy to the solid bone (this is fast) and goes to cochlea (which is filled with fluid) From air > to solid (bone) > to liquid. Ear is divided into 3 regions o. External auditory canal: directs sound waves to eardrum. Tympanic membrane (eardrum): sound waves cause it to vibrate and then causes malleus to vibrate. Ceruminous glands: produce cerumen (earwax) - hydrophobic - it"s beneficial to have earwax to prevent water getting into the ear: middle ear (made of 3 ossicles/bones - smallest of the body) - brings sound vibrations to oval window. Stapes connects to the oval window (entrance to cochlea)
