ABSTRACT
The ear is divided into three separate but functionally related subunits. The outer ear consists of the pinna and external auditory canal (EAC) bounded medially by the lateral surface of the tympanic membrane (TM). The middle ear contains the ossicular chain, which spans the middle ear cleft and allows acoustic energy to be transferred from the TM to the oval window and then into the cochlea of the inner ear. The EAC is a tortuous passage approximately 2.5 cm in length that directs sound from the conchal bowl to the TM. The squamous epithelium of the TM and ear canal is unique and is worthy of consideration. The inner ear is comprised of the cochlea and the peripheral vestibular apparatus. While the peripheral vestibular apparatus is dedicated to detecting angular and linear acceleration and static head tilt, the cochlea is devoted to hearing.
