The Ear
Functions of the ear

Hearing – detects vibrations in air and
converts these vibrations to nerve impulses
Impulses are sent to the brain and interpreted
as sounds

Balance – vestibule in inner ear is
responsible for balance
It detects changes in body position and sends
this info to brain via nerve impulses
Anatomy & Physiology of Ear
There are three divisions of the ear
1.
External ear – the pinna ( or auricle) gathers and
passes sound vibrations through the auditory canal
2.
Middle ear – the tympanum (or eardrum) transmits
sound vibrations to in inner ear
3.
Inner ear – also known as labrinyth receives sound
vibrations and transmits messages to brain via nerve
impulses
Middle Ear Ossicles
There are three bones called ossicles



Malleus – (hammer)
Incus
Stapes – (stirrup)
The ossicles transmit vibrations from the
tympanic membrane to the inner ear
Inner Ear - Cochlea




Cochlea is known as the organ of hearing
Cochlea is a snail shaped structure filled with
fluid and hair cells
These cells respond to vibrations in the fluid
and produces nerve impulses
The impulses are sent to the auditory centre
of the brain
Word components
Word root
Combining
form
Meaning
Acoust
acoust/o
hear/sound
Audi
audi/o
hear/hearing
Aur
aur/o,aural
ear
Auricul
auricul/o
ear / pinna
Cerumin
cerumin/o
cerumen / ear wax /
Cochle
cochle/o
cochlea,snail (receptor
for hearing in inner ear
Incud
incud/o,incudal incus bone or anvil
Word Components
Word
root
Combining
form
Meaning
Labrinyth
labrinyth/o
maze, twisted spiral shape
Malle
Malle/o
Malleus bone or hammer
Mast
Mastoid/o
breast, nipple shaped
Myring
myring/o
membrane
Ot
ot/o
ear
Staped
stapedi/o
staped/o
stapes bone or stirrup
Salping
salping/o
eustachian or trumpet tube
Tympan
tympan/o
drum
pg 1
Ear inflammation / infections

Otitis externa

Otitis media

Otitis interna

Otitis media - more common due to the middle ear’s
connection to Eustachian tube
pg2
Procedures for ear

Examination – aural speculum allows better viewing
of tympanic membrane with auriscope

Auriscope – instrument used to examine ear canal
and tympanic membrane

Aural syringe – instrument used to lavage (wash
out) ear that is blocked with cerumen
pg2
Glue ear




Is the build up of fluid behind tympanic
membrane
Surgical puncture…..allows drainage from
middle ear
Fluid drains into Eustachian tube to
nasopharynx
Grommets can be fixed to tympanic
membrane to assist drainage
pg3
Abbreviations
AC
air conduction
AD
auris dextra(right ear)
AS
auris sinistra (left ear)
Aud audiology
BC
bone conduction
ENT ear, nose throat
ETF eustachian tube function
OE
otitis externa
OM
otitis media
Oto
otology
Ear Conditions / Terms
Term
Meaning
conductive
deafness
glue ear
hearing impairment resulting from
obstruction of sound waves
accumulation of fluid in middle ear
Menieres
Disease
otalgia
disorder of inner ear characterized by
vertigo, deafness and tinnitus
pain in ear (earache)
otorrhagia
bleeding from the ear
tinnitus
continuous ringing or buzzing noise in ear
Vertigo
dizziness, sensation the the person or
surroundings are spinning
Ear procedures
Procedure
Meaning
audiogram
recording tracing of hearing
myringoplasty
surgical repair of perforated ear drum
myringotomy
surgical incision into the eardrum
ossiculoplasty
surgical repair of the ear bones
otoplasty
plastic surgery of the ear
stapedectomy
removal of the stapes
tympanoplasty surgical repair of the tympanic
membrane when disease such as
infection involved
THE EYE
Organ of sight
Function of the eye

Identification of shapes and colours
Physiology of vision





Light enters eye through the pupil
The lens focuses light rays on the retina
which is the nerve tissue of the eye
Visual receptor neurons (known as rods and
cones) in retina respond to these light rays
Nerve fibres join in the optic disc
Optic disc carries nerve impulses to the brain
Professional branches of
vision
Optometry
 Is the measuring of visual acuity and fitting of
glasses to correct visual defects
Ophthamology
 Is the study of the eye and vision
Opticianry
 Is the practice of filling prescriptions for glasses,
contact lenses and ophthalmic lenses pg1
Word Components
Word root
Combining form Meaning
Ophthalm
Ophthalm/o
eye
Ocul
ocul/o; -ocular
eye
Opt
opt/o
sight
Word Components
Word root Combining Meaning
form
Blephar
blephar/o
eyelid
Sclera
scler/o
hard (white of the eye)
kerat
kerat/o
cornea / horny / epidermis
Ir
ir/o, irid/o
Cycl
cycl/o
iris (coloured part of eye that
bends regulating amount of
light entering eye
ciliary body
The eyeball
2 large cavities separated by the lens of the eye

Anterior Cavity– divided into 2 parts by iris
Is filled with watery fluid called aqueous humor

Posterior Cavity– lies between the lens and retina
of the eye
Contains a jelly like substance called the vitreous
humor
Word components
Root/prefix/ Combining Meaning
suffix
form
goni
goni/o
peripheral angle of the eye
pupil
pupill/o
pupil
cor
cor/o
pupil
choroid
choroid/o
Retin
retin/o
middle pigmented vascular
coat of the posterior section
of eyeball
light sensitive area of eye
Papill
papill/o
nipple shaped
Word Componets
Root/prefix Combining
/suffix
form
Meaning
Phak
phac/o,phak/o
lens of the eye
Scot
scot/o, scotoma
blindspots of vision
Lacrim (Latin)
lacrim/o
tear
Dacry (Greek)
dacry/o
tear or lacriminal apparatus
cili
cili/o
eyelash
Corne
corne/o
cornea (transparent circular
anterior part of eyeball
cyst
cyst/o
bladder or sac
-opia
Vitre
condition of vision
Vitre/o
glass
pg 3
Layers of the eye





Sclera – outer layer of the eyeball
Is the white of the eye covers entire eyeball
except cornea
Cornea – transparent protective covering of
the iris
Iris – coloured part of the eye and regulates
amount of light entering eye through the pupil
Pupil – black hole in the middle of eye
pg4
Layers of the eye


Choroid – thin brown layer that lines internal
surface of sclera
- is between the retinal and sclera layers
Retina – inner layer of the eye
forms images to see colour shades and movements
Lacrimal apparatus provides lubrication with it’s
fluid and drains into the lacrimal sac and enters
the nose
pg4
Conditions and Terms
Astigmatism
Cataract
Choroiditis
Conjunctivitis
Emmetropia
Entropion
Glaucoma
Hypermetropia
vision defect where vision is distorted
opacity of the lens of the eye
inflammation of layer between retina and
sclera
inflammation of the conjunctiva
light falls on retina in correct position i.e
normal vision
inward turning of eyelid
abnormal pressure of the fluid in the eye
long sightedness;light rays are focused
beyond retina
Conditions and Terms
Keratitis
Myopia
Nystagmus
Orthoptics
Strabismus
Stye
Trichiasis
Xeropthalmia
inflammation of the cornea
shortsightedness
involuntary movement of eye
pertaining to study and treatment of
muscle imbalances of eye i.e.squints
squint
inflammation of the gland at base of
eyelash
eyelashes rubbing against cornea
dry eyes