Medical Terminology - Chapter 15 The Ear

Round Window

an opening on the medial wall of the middle ear leading into the cochlea, closed in life by the secondary tympanic membrane.

Oval Window

an oval opening in the inner wall of the middle ear, which is closed by the stapes; called also fenestra vestibuli.

ENT

Ears, Nose, and Throat

Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Either one of the eight pairs of cranial nerves that supply the cochlea and semicircular canals of the internal ear and contribute to the sense of hearing Formerly called acoustic nerve

Presbycusis

Hearing loss occurring as part of the aging process.

AOM (Acute Otitis Media)

Inflammation of the middle ear in which there is fluid in the middle ear accompanied by signs or symptoms of ear infection: a bulging eardrum usually accompanied by pain; or a perforated eardrum, often with drainage of purulent material (pus). Common in children.

ENT Specialist

Otolaryngologist

Otodynia

Pain in the ear; earache.

Otoplasty

Surgery of the external ear

Myringotomy

Surgical incision into the tympanic membrane

Myringoplasty

Surgical repair of the tympanic membrane

Myringectomy

The excision of the tympanic membrane of the ear. Also called myringodectomy .

Organ of Corti

The sensitive element in the inner ear and can be thought of as the body's microphone. It is situated on the basilar membrane in one of the three compartments of the Cochlea. It contains four rows of hair cells which protrude from its surface.

Cochlea

The spiral cavity of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti, which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations.

8th Cranial Nerve

Transmits sound and equilibrium (balance) information from the inner ear to the brain.

Lymph

A colorless fluid containing white blood cells, that bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.

Vertigo

A dizzying sensation of tilting within stable surroundings or of being in tilting or spinning surroundings.

Auditory Testing

A hearing (audiometric) test is part of an ear exam that tests how well a person is able to hear. It is done by measuring how well sound can reach the brain. The sounds we hear start as vibrations in the air around us.

Tinnitus

A ringing or similar sensation of sound in the ears.

Fenestration

A surgical operation in which a new opening is formed, especially in the bony labyrinth of the inner ear to treat certain types of deafness.

Ortohinolaryngologist

A surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with conditions of the ear, nose, and throat and related structures of the head and neck.

Otorhinolaryngology

A surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with conditions of the ear, nose, and throat and related structures of the head and neck.

External Auditory Canal

A tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The adult human ear canal extends from the pinna to the eardrum and is about 2.5 centimeters (1 in) in length and 0.7 centimeters (0.3 in) in diameter.

Tympanic membrane

Also called eardrum, thin layer of tissue in the human ear that receives sound vibrations from the outer air and transmits them to the auditory ossicles. It also serves as the lateral wall of the tympanic cavity, separating it from the external auditory canal. The membrane lies across the end of the external canal and looks like a flattened cone with its tip (apex) pointed inward. The edges are attached to a ring of bone, the tympanic annulus.

Cochlear Implant

An electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants do the work of damaged parts of the inner ear (cochlea) to provide sound signals to the brain.

Myringoscope

An instrument for examining the eardrum.

Otoscope

An instrument for examining the external canal and tympanic membrane of the ear.