What are the physiological structures and functions of the inner ear of the human ear?

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In daily activities, the sounds we feel require the mutual assistance of the ears, auditory nerves and auditory center. They can make detailed analysis of sound signals, such as sound source direction, sound intensity, sound quality, frequency, etc. The ear is the hearing organ of the human body. Its structure is very delicate and consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.


What are the physiological structures and functions of the inner ear of the human ear?

It is divided into three parts: vestibule, semicircular canal and cochlea. The vestibule and semicircular canal are responsible for the balance function of the human body, while the cochlea is responsible for hearing. The inner ear is divided into bony labyrinth and membranous labyrinth according to levels. The bony labyrinth is a tunnel in the petrous part of the temporal bone. In this tunnel, a membranous tube with both ends closed is enclosed by the synchronization bag, which is the membranous labyrinth.


The bony labyrinth is filled with perilymph, which is connected with the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, so its composition is the same as that of cerebrospinal fluid. The membranous labyrinth is filled with endolymph, which is generated by the stria vascularis of the cochlear duct. Endolymph and perilymph are not connected. The spiral organ is the auditory receptor device and a key part of the inner ear. It is located on the basilar membrane and consists of inner and outer hair cells (auditory receptor cells), supporting cells, reticular membrane and tectorial membrane. Most of the hair cells, reticular membrane, and tegmental membrane are bathed in the endolymph surrounding them.

The main auditory functions of the cochlea are:
①. Sound transmission. That is, the sound waves felt by the vestibular window are transmitted to the hair cells.
②, sense of sound. That is, the sound energy received by the spiral device is converted into cochlear nerve potential and transmitted to the cochlear nerve, and then transmitted to the auditory center of the brain through the cochlear nerve to produce hearing. This is the sound transmission and sound sensing mechanism of the cochlea.

At present, most scholars believe that the cochlea can perform preliminary analysis of sound frequencies. Each frequency sound wave has a corresponding resonance site in the basilar membrane: low-frequency sounds are at the top of the cochlea, medium-frequency sounds are in the middle of the cochlea, and high-frequency sounds are at the basilar membrane at the bottom of the cochlea, so the cochlea itself is a resonator.


The structure of the human ear can be divided into three parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. In the process of transmitting sound from the natural environment to the human brain, the three parts of the human ear Some have different physiological effects.

(1) External ear: refers toThe part of the ear that can be seen from outside the body, namely the auricle and the ear canal. The main structure of the auricle is cartilage. The auricle has two main functions. It can repel foreign objects to protect the external auditory canal and periosteum, and it can also collect sound. This is why sometimes when you put your hand in a cup shape behind your ear, the sound you hear will feel louder. The external auditory canal has the function of protecting the eardrum. The curved shape of the ear canal makes it difficult for foreign objects to implant into the eardrum.

(2) Middle ear: It is composed of the tympanic membrane, the middle ear cavity and the ossicular chain. The basic function of the middle ear is to transmit sound waves to the inner ear. The sound vibrates the tympanic membrane through the external auditory canal in the form of sound waves, thereby making the sound It can be converted into mechanical energy through the structure of the middle ear. When the pressure in the middle ear cavity changes with the atmospheric pressure outside the body, the tympanic membrane can function normally. This natural physiological structure plays a role in balancing internal and external pressure

(3) Inner ear, the structure of the inner ear is composed of semicircular canals, vestibule and cochlea. The vestibule is a cavity with tiny irregular switches in the oval window. The semicircular canals can sense movement in all directions and play a role in regulating body balance. The cochlea is a snail-like structure surrounded by the skull. The inner ear converts mechanical energy from the middle ear into nerve electrical impulses and transmits them to the brain, so that we hear sounds.

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