Histology of the Ears and Eyes

Dr. Leandro Vila

The Ear
-

Divided into the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear

Outer ear
Pinna collects soundwaves
External auditory canal / meatus
Tympanic membrane lateral portion, aka eardrum
Middle ear
Air-filled cavity
Otitis media presence of fluid / pus
Usually sealed by the medial portion of the tympanic membrane
Ossicles malleus, incus and stapes (smallest bones in the body)
Skeletal muscles stapedius and tensor tympani
o
Stapedius CN VII
o
Tensor tympani CN V
Middle ear is connected to the nasal cavity by means of
nasopharynx
o
In pediatric patients, the Eustachian tube is oriented
horizontally to the nose such that when the child lies
on his/her side, the mucus may enter the middle ear
o
When the fluid accumulates, it can push the tympanic
membrane and cause it to rupture, leading to otitis
media (luga)
o
Destruction of the tympanic membrane will cause
conductive hearing loss because soundwaves will no
longer be vibrated difficulty in deciphering
soundwaves hearing impairment
o
In the adult, the Eustachian tube will be directed
posteriorly and downward, reducing the likelihood of
developing otitis media
o
Eustachian tube is usually closed except when yawning
and chewing
o
Yawning and chewing equalizes pressure of the middle
ear with the atmospheric pressure especially when
ascending mountains or in places with increased
altitude and decreased barometric pressure
o
Yawning and chewing opens the nasopharynx to
equalize the barometric pressure or else the pressure
will push against the middle ear (sense of fullness in
the ear) may eventually cause the tympanic
membrane to rupture
Inner ear
-

Sometimes referred to as the labyrinth

Made up of snail-like structures (cochlea)
Connected to 3 canals (semi-circular canals) by the vestibule
A bony structure made up of the cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals (lateral, posterior and superior canals)
o
Lateral because it is oriented towards the external ear
Inside the cochlea is the cochlear duct
Inside the vestibule: utricle and saccule
Inside the semicircular canals: semicircular ducts
Inner ear is divided into bony and membranous labyrinth
o
Bony labyrinth

Cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals

Has a fluid inside called the perilymph, a

paracellular fluid fluids which are
transiently available on one particular space
but goes back to the blood vessel (another
example: CSF)

Perilymph comes from plasma ECF such

that their contents are similar

If plasma ECF sodium content is high,

perilymph sodium content is also high

Membranous labyrinth

Cochlear duct, semicircular ducts, utricle

and saccule

Fluid inside is known as the endolymph,

also a paracellular fluid

But although it also comes from the plasma,

the endolymph is modified such that the
contents of the endolymph is similar to that
of the ICF

Cochlea and Stapes

Stapes has a communication with the cochlea (inner ear)
Commonly, the stapes will cover an opening of the labyrinth (oval
window)
The oval window will come in communication with the base of the
stapes
Below which, there is a round window
The cochlea turns 2 and or 2 and times inward, forming a
canal
Inside the canal, a duct divides the cochlea into 3 compartments:
o
Scala vestibuli superior space, withoval window, in
communication with the stapes such that when
soundwaves vibrate the tympanic membrane, it will
also vibrate the ossicles, incus, stapes and eventually
transmit the vibration to the perilymph fluid

Scala vestibuli has a communication with

the apex of the cochlea together with the
scala tympani and this junction is called the
helicotrema

Such that the scala vestibuli and the scala

tympani both contain the same fluid
(perilymph)
o
Scala tympani inferior space, with round window

Perilymph has less Na and Cl than the

perilymph in scala vestibuli
o
Scala media space in between the scala vestibuli and
scala tympani
Reissners membrane / vestibular membrane boundary
between the scala vestibuli and scala media
o
Made up of 2 layers of simple squamous epithelium
(one each from scala vestibuli and scala media)
Basilar membrane separates scala media and scala tympani
o
Resting on the basilar membrane are the receptors for
hearing (collectively termed as Organ of Corti)
These structures are arranged in a way then when soundwaves
vibrate, it will be transmitted to the scala tympani and the
pressure will exit through the round window
If the perilymph is vibrated in the scala tympani, it will also vibrate
Reissners membrane and the basilar membrane
Vibrating the basilar membrane will also vibrate the organ of
Corti, the sound receptors resting on the basilar membrane
Organ of Corti
Receptors for hearing
The ear is not only for hearing, it is also for balance
o
During tinnitus, the head has a tendency to tilt towards
the origin of the vibration and you have a tendency to
fall on the same side where you are having tinnitus
o
CN VIII is termed as vestibulo-cochlear rather than
auditory/cochlear nerve

Remember that the semicircular canals,

along with the utricles and saccules are
needed also for balance

Vestibular and cochlear nerve unites to

form the vestibulo-cochlear nerve (CN VIII)

Cochlear nerve from the cochlea

Vestibular nerve from the

vestibule

Receptors for Balance

Crista ampullare in the semicircular canals, functions in balance
for moving the head side-to-side and balance during angular
acceleration (when making a rapid or sudden turn)
o
Cupula - a gelatinuous membrane in the crista
ampullare
Macula in the saccule and utricle, functions in balance for static
and linear acceleration (when riding an elevator)
o
Macula et saccule in the saccule
o
Macula et utricule in the utricle

Otolitic membrane - a gelatinous

membrane found in the macula

Otoconia / otolitic stones calcium

carbonate particles on top of the otolitic
membrane
Tectorial membrane gelatinous membrane on top of the hair
cells of the organ of Corti
o
Spiral limbus structure that secretes the tectorial
membrane
o
Interdental cells cells that secrete the tectorial
membrane
o
Function of hair cells on tectorial membrane:

3 outer hair cells : 1 inner hair cell

1 inner hair cell contributes up to 90-95% of

the stimuli in the spiral ganglion for hearing

Moves laterally or medially depending on

the stimuli on the tectorial membrane
Supporting cells of the hair cells (receptors):
o
Pillar cells
o
Phalangeal cells
Endolymph
Fluid in the scala media
Stria vascularis - a stratified squamous non-keratinized structure
that secretes the endolymph
o
Has a unique electrogenic pump for K so it can pump
plenty of K in endolymph of the scala media (important
for depolarization)
o
This is why the endolymph is considered to have the
same composition as the ICF (K-rich as opposed to the
perilymph which is Na-rich)
Hair Cells
With dendrite, cell body and axon
The axons will all converge to form the spiral ganglion
(predominantly inner hair cells)
Hair cells on the base are shorter and stouter
o
Requires high frequency in order to vibrate
Hair cells on the apex are thinner and longer
o
Vibrates even at low vibration and frequency
The Eye
-

3 layers of the eye:

o
Tunica fibrosa - fibrous coat (outermost)

Cornea - anterior 5/6 (dense regular CT)

Sclera (dense irregular CT)

o
Tunica vasculosa - vascular and muscular layer
(middle)

Choroid (brownish, vascularized)

Separated from the sclera by the

episcleral membrane Bruchs
membrane

Ciliary body (expanded part anterior to

choroid)

Iris (narrow, anterior to ciliary body)

o
Tunica nervosa - nervous layer (innermost)

Retina does not reach the lens

Ora serrata anterior

termination of the retina

Parts of the Eye

The cornea is consist of 5 layers:
o
Corneal epithelium (outermost layer)

Stratified squamous non-keratinized epi

o
Bowmans membrane

Clear, fibrous layer responsible for the

stability and strength of the cornea
o
Substancia propria

Bulk of the cornea

o
Descemets membrane
o
Corneal endothelium (innermost layer)

Simple squamous epithelium that maintains

the transparency of the cornea
Anterior chamber - space behind the cornea
Pupil - space between the iris and cornea
Posterior chamber space behind the iris
Vitreous space space behind the lens
o
Makes up the vitreous body because it is made up of
vitreous humour, it maintains the shape of the eyeball
Corneoscleral / iridocorneal junction junction between cornea
and sclera
o
Corneoscleral angle where the canal of Schlemm is
found
Canal of Schlemm drains the aqueous humour
Aqueous humour fluid between the anterior and posterior
chambers
Ciliary processes projections that secrete the aqueous humour
Uvea / uveal tract pigmented middle layer (Wikipedia)
Suspensory ligament suspends the lens to the ciliary body
Ciliary body made up of ciliary processes and ciliary muscle
which contracts towards the lens to relax it (makes lens thicker)
and relaxes towards the lens to constrict it (makes lens thinner)
Iris has pigmented epithelium which contains melanin
o
Melanin gives color to the eye, amount of melanin
dictates the color of the iris (abundant melanin = black,
moderate = brown, few = gray/blue/violet)
o
Light-colored irises may connote connective tissue
diseases (blue eyes is associated with osteogenesis
imperfecta)
Dilator pupillae radial muscle near the pigmented epithelium
Constrictor pupillae circular muscle at the center of the pupil
Retina inner layer of the optic cup gives rise to the retina
proper, outer layer of the optic cup gives rise to pigment
epithelium. The retina has 10 layers:
o
Pigment epithelium
o
Photoreceptor layer layer of rods and cones,
dendrites of the photoreceptors
o
Outer limiting membrane formed by Mullers cells
(columnar cells)
o
Outer nuclear layer formed by nerve cell bodies of
the photoreceptor
o
Outer plexiform layer - synapse between the axon of
the photoreceptor and the dendrite of the bipolar cell,
horizontal cells are found here (modifies activity of
photoreceptors in stimulation to the bipolar cells)
o
Inner nuclear layer formed by nerve cell bodies of
the bipolar cells, amacrine cells are found here
o
Inner plexiform layer synapse between the axon of
the bipolar cell and the dendrite of the ganglion cell
o
Ganglion cell layer formed by nerve cell bodies of
the ganglion cell
o
Nerve fiber layer formed by axon of the ganglion cell
o
Inner limiting membrane also formed by Mullers
cells

Prepared by: Paolo Warren (Med-IA)