The Remarkable Human Ear

The mammalian ear is a product of about 35 million years of evolution. The development of the human ear was crucial to enabling upright balance, and crucially also speech - both key factors in ebabling human civilisation, and the near-future of extra-terrestrial exploration.
This video was created using medical-CT imaging, and state-of-the-art modelling software (MIMICS), combined with the magic of animation software (Blender). The music is my own, and made on GarageBand.

The video details
1. The outer ear (auricle), including skin and cartilage
2. The tympanic membrane, with malleus, incus and stapes including membranes and articular surfaces
3. The scala vestibuli, scala tympani and helicotrema and endo-lymphatic duct
4. The scala media (cochlear coil)
5. The round window
6. The cochlear organ
7. The peri-lymphatic labrynth and perilymphatic sac, including saccule and utricle, with semi-circular canals and ampullae
8. The cochlear sprial nerve, and vestibular nerves and ganglions
9. The chorda tympani and facial nerve with geniculate ganglion, and terminal parotid branching
10. The cerebellopontine angle, with cerebellum, pons, and medulla
11. The tensor tympani muscles and stapedius muscles
12. The eustachian tube, including opening and exit, with accessory eustachian sac
13. Internal carotid, middle cerebral, and external carotid arteries, including carotid bulb, alongside course of internal jugular vein
14. Middle ear chamber, including round window and oval window, and attic
15. Mastoid air cells
16. Petrous and squamous temporal bone, including cartilage of glenoid fossa of TMJ


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