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The outer ear is the external portion of the ear and includes the fleshy visible auricle, the ear canal, and the outer layer of the eardrum (also called the tympanic membrane). [2] [3] The auricle consists of the curving outer rim called the helix, the inner curved rim called the antihelix, and opens into the ear canal.
These portions of the ear are supplied by the cervical plexus and a small portion by the facial nerve. This explains why vesicles are classically seen on the auricle in herpes infections of the facial nerve (Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II). [1] The auricle's functions are to collect sound and transform it into directional and other information.
The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is the external part of the ear, which consists of the auricle (also pinna) and the ear canal. [1] It gathers sound energy and focuses it on the eardrum ( tympanic membrane ).
Ear infections are more common in children because the tube is horizontal and shorter, making bacterial entry easier, and it also has a smaller diameter, making the movement of fluid more difficult. In addition, children's developing immune systems and poor hygiene habits make them more prone to upper respiratory infections.
The auricular branch of the vagus nerve is often termed the Alderman's nerve ("a reference to the old Aldermen of the City of London and their practice of using rosewater bowls at ceremonial banquets, where attendees were encouraged to place a napkin moistened with rosewater behind their ears in the belief that this would aid digestion") or Arnold's nerve (an eponym for Friedrich Arnold).
The middle ear is the portion of the ear medial to the eardrum, and distal to the oval window of the cochlea (of the inner ear). The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes), which transfer the vibrations of the eardrum into waves in the fluid and membranes of the inner ear .
The human earlobe (lobulus auriculae), the lower portion of the outer ear, is composed of tough areolar and adipose connective tissues, lacking the firmness and elasticity of the rest of the auricle (the external structure of the ear). In some cases the lower lobe is connected to the side of the face.
The ear canal (external acoustic meatus, external auditory meatus, EAM) is a pathway running from the outer ear to the middle ear.The adult human ear canal extends from the auricle to the eardrum and is about 2.5 centimetres (1 in) in length and 0.7 centimetres (0.3 in) in diameter.