Question | Answer |
auditory canal | Channel that leads from the pinna to the eardrum. |
auditory meatus | Auditory canal. |
auditory nerve fibers | Carry impulses from the inner ear to the brain (cerebral cortex). These fibers compose the vestibulocochlear nerve |
auditory tube | Channel between the middle ear and the nasopharynx; eustachian tube. |
auricle | Flap of the ear; the protruding part of the external ear, or pinna. |
cerumen | Waxy substance secreted by the external ear; also called earwax. |
cochlea | Snail-shaped, pirally wound tube in the inner ear; contains hearing-sensitive receptor cells. |
endolymph | Fluid within the labyrinth of the inner ear. |
eustachian tube | Auditory tube. |
incus | Second ossicle (bone) of the middle ear; incus means anvil. |
labyrinth | Maze-like series of canals of the inner ear. This includes the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals. |
malleus | First ossicle of the middle ear; malleus means hammer. |
organ of Corti | Sensitive auditory receptor area found in the cochlea of the inner ear. |
ossicle | Small bone of the ear; includes the malleus, incus, and stapes. |
oval window | Membrane between the middle ear and the inner ear. |
perilymph | Fluid contained in the labyrinth of the inner ear. |
pinna | Auricle; flap of the ear. |
semicircular canals | Passages in the inner ear associated with maintaining equilibrium. |
stapes | Third ossicle of the middle ear. Stapes means stirrup. |
tympanic membrane | Membrane between the outer and the middle ear; also called the eardrum. |
vestibule | Central cavity of the labyrinth, connecting the semicircular canals and the cochlea. The vestibule contains two structures, the saccule and utricle, that help to maintain equilibrium. |
acous/o | hearing |
audi/o | hearing; the sense of hearing |
audit/o | hearing |
aur/o, auricul/o | ear (see also ot/o) |
cochle/o | cochlea |
mastoid/o | mastoid process |
myring/o | eardrum, tympanic membrane (see also tympan/o) |
ossicul/o | ossicle |
ot/o | ear |
salping/o | eustachian tube, auditory tube |
staped/o | stapes (third bone of the middle ear) |
tympan/o | eardrum, tympanic membrane |
vestibul/o | vestibule |
-acusis or -cusis | hearing |
-meter | instrument to measure |
-otia | ear condition |
acoustic neuroma | Benign tumor arising from the acoustic vestibulocochlear nerve (eighth cranial nerve) in the brain. |
cholesteatoma | Collection of skin cells and cholesterol in a sac within the middle ear. |
deafness | Loss of the ability to hear. |
Ménière disease | Disorder of the labyrinth of the inner ear; elevated endolymph pressure within the cochlea (cochlear hydrops) and semicircular canals (vestibular hydrops). |
otitis media | Inflammation of the middle ear. |
otosclerosis | Hardening of the bony tissue of the middle ear. |
tinnitus | Sensation of noises (ringing, buzzing, whistling, booming) in the ears |
vertigo | Sensation of irregular or whirling motion either of oneself or of external objects. |
audiometry | Testing the sense of hearing. |
cochlear implant procedure | Surgical insertion of a device that allows sensorineural hearing–impaired persons to understand speech. |
ear thermometry | Measurement of the temperature of the tympanic membrane by detection of infrared radiation from the eardrum. |
otoscopy | Visual examination of the ear canal with an otoscope |
tuning fork test | Test of ear conduction using a vibration source (tuning fork). |
AD | right ear (Latin, auris dextra) |
AOM | acute otitis media |
AS | left ear (Latin, auris sinistra) |
EENT | eyes, ears, nose, and throat |
ENG | electronystagmography—a test of the balance mechanism of the inner ear by assessing eye movements (nystagmus is rapidly twitching eye movement) |
ENT | ears, nose, and throat |
ETD | eustachian tube dysfunction |
HEENT | head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat |
PE tube | pressure-equalizing tube—a polyethylene ventilating tube placed in the eardrum (to treat recurrent episodes of acute otitis media) |
SOM | serous otitis media |
audiometer | instrument to measure hearing |
otomycosis | fungal infection of the ear |
Audiogram | Record of hearing using an audiometer. |
Hyperacusis | Excessive sensitivity to sounds. |
Macrotia | Abnormally large ears. |
Microtia | Abnormally small ears. |
Otopyorrhea | Discharge of pus from the ear. |
Salpingopharyngeal | Pertaining to the eustachian tube and the throat. |
Tympanoplasty | Surgical repair of the eardrum. |
Vestibulocochlear | Pertaining to the vestibule and cochlea. |