The human ear is a unique paired organ located in the deepest part of the temporal bone. The anatomy of its structure allows capturing mechanical vibrations of the air, as well as transmitting them through internal media, then converting the sound and transmitting it to the brain centers.
According to the anatomical structure, human ears can be divided into three parts, namely the outer, middle and inner.
Elements of the middle ear
Studying the structure of the middle part of the ear, you can see that it is divided into several components: the tympanic cavity, the ear tube and the auditory ossicles. The last of these include an anvil, hammer and stirrup.
Middle ear malleus
This part of the auditory ossicles includes such elements as the neck and handle. The head of the malleus is connected through the hammer joint to the structure of the body of the incus. And the handle of this malleus is connected with the eardrum by fusion with it. To the neck of the malleusa special muscle is attached that pulls on the eardrum.
Anvil
This ear element has at its disposal a length of six to seven millimeters, which consists of a special body and two legs with short and long sizes. The one that is short has a lentiform process that fuses with the incus stirrup joint and with the head of the stirrup itself.
What else does the middle ear ossicle include?
Stirrup
The stirrup has a head, as well as front and rear legs with part of the base. The stirrup muscle is attached to its back leg. The base of the stirrup itself is built into an oval-shaped window in the vestibule of the labyrinth. The annular ligament in the form of a membrane, which is located between the support base of the stirrup and the edge of the oval window, contributes to the mobility of this auditory element, which is ensured by the action of air waves directly on the tympanic membrane.
Anatomical description of the muscles attached to the bones
Two transverse striated muscles are attached to the auditory ossicles, which perform certain functions for transmitting sound vibrations.
One of them stretches the eardrum and originates at the walls of the muscular and tubal canals related to the temporal bone, and then it attaches to the neck of the malleus itself. The function of this tissue is to pull the handle of the malleus inward. Tensionoccurs in the direction of the tympanic cavity. In this case, the tension of the eardrum occurs and therefore it is, as it were, stretched and concave into the region of the middle ear region.
Another muscle of the stirrup originates in the thickness of the pyramidal elevation of the mastoid wall of the tympanic region and is attached to the foot of the stirrup located behind. Its function is to reduce and remove from the hole the base of the stirrup itself. During powerful oscillations of the auditory ossicles, along with the previous muscle, the auditory ossicles are held, which significantly reduces their displacement.
The auditory ossicles, which are interconnected by joints, and, in addition, the muscles related to the middle ear, fully regulate the movement of air currents at different levels of intensity.
Tympanic cavity of the middle ear
In addition to the bones, the structure of the middle ear also includes a certain cavity, which is commonly called the tympanic cavity. The cavity is located in the temporal part of the bone, and its volume is one cubic centimeter. In this area, the auditory ossicles are located with the eardrum nearby.
The mastoid process is located above the cavity, which consists of cells that carry air currents. It also contains a kind of cave, that is, a cell through which air molecules move. In the anatomy of the human ear, this area plays the role of the most characteristic landmark in the implementation of any surgical interventions. How the auditory ossicles are connected is of interest to many.
Estachian tube in human middle ear structure anatomy
This area is a formation that can reach a length of three and a half centimeters, and the diameter of its lumen can be up to two millimeters. Its upper beginning is located in the tympanic region, and the lower pharyngeal mouth opens in the nasopharynx approximately at the level of the hard palate.
The auditory tube consists of two sections, which are separated by the narrowest point in its area, the so-called isthmus. The bone part departs from the tympanic region, which extends below the isthmus, it is commonly called membranous-cartilaginous.
The walls of the tube, located in the cartilaginous region, are usually closed at rest, but when chewing they can open slightly, and this can also occur during swallowing or yawning. The increase in the lumen of the tube occurs through two muscles that are associated with the palatine curtain. The shell of the ear is lined with epithelium and has a mucous surface, and its cilia move towards the pharyngeal mouth, which allows for the drainage function of the tube.
Other facts about the ossicle in the ear and the structure of the middle ear
The middle ear is directly connected to the nasopharynx through the Eustachian tube, whose primary function is to regulate pressure that comes from outside the air. A sharp laying of human ears can signal a transient decrease or increase in environmental pressure.
Long and prolonged soreness in the temples, ratherIn total, it indicates that the ears are currently trying to actively fight the infection that has arisen and thus protect the brain from all kinds of violations of its performance.
Internal ossicle
Fun facts about pressure include reflex yawning, which signals that a person’s environment has undergone sudden changes in his environment, and therefore a reaction in the form of yawning has been caused. You should also know that the human middle ear contains a mucous membrane in its structure.
Do not forget that unexpected, even, as well as sharp sounds can provoke muscle contraction on a reflex basis and harm both the structure and the functioning of hearing. The functions of the auditory ossicles are unique.
All of the listed elements of the anatomical structure carry such a functionality of the auditory ossicles as the transmission of perceived noise, as well as its transfer from the outer region of the ear to the inner. Any violation and failure of the functioning of at least one of the buildings can lead to the destruction of the hearing organs completely.
Inflammation of the middle ear
The middle ear is a small cavity between the inner and outer ear. In the middle ear, air vibrations are transformed into fluid vibrations, which are recorded by auditory receptors in the inner ear. This happens with the help of special bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) due to sound vibration from the eardrum to the auditoryreceptors. To equalize the pressure between the cavity and the environment, the middle ear communicates with the Eustachian tube with the nose. The infectious agent penetrates this anatomical structure and provokes inflammation - otitis media.
