auricle

Eva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.

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The auricle, together with the external auditory canal and the eardrum, form the outer ear. The shape and size of the auricle are innate and vary greatly from person to person - each ear is unique. Find out everything you need to know about the auricle - how it is shaped, why it is important and what health problems it can cause (like the "boxer's ear")!

What is the auricle?

The auricle is a funnel-shaped fold of skin that is supported by elastic cartilage, the ear cartilage. The fold of skin adheres particularly tightly to the cartilage at the front of the ear.

The lowest section of the turbinate, the earlobe (lobus auriculae), does not contain any cartilage. It consists only of adipose tissue and the surrounding skin.

The skin of the auricle is thin and low in fat, it contains sebum and sweat glands. Solid hairs (tragi) can grow at the entrance to the external auditory canal.

Function of the auricle

The shape of the auricle is innate and, according to recent studies, it grows for a lifetime - even at an advanced age. It does not allow such directivity and sound amplification in humans as is the case with most animals. The many elevations and depressions of the auricula and the underlying ear cartilage with its folds and depressions are a filter system for the incoming sound. This is broken at the edges of the auricle and thus - depending on its frequency components - attenuated differently. From this, the brain can then obtain information about the spatial origin of a sound source - whether a sound comes from the front, back, above or below.

Anatomy of the auricle

The auricle consists of the ear cartilage, the surrounding skin, ligaments and some rudimentary muscles. At the entrance (isthmus) to the external auditory canal, the turbinate cartilage merges with the auditory canal cartilage.

The auricula can have a "Darwinian cusp" (tuberculum auriculae) on the upper rear edge of the ear brim, which corresponds to the tip of the animal ears. Muscles pull from the skull to the auricle, which can move them:

The anterior ear muscle (auricularis anterior muscle) pulls the auricle forward, the upper auricular muscle (superior auricularis muscle) upwards, and the posterior auricular muscle (posterior auricular muscle) pulls it backwards.

Muscles that originate and attach to the cartilaginous ear are remnants of a sphincter muscle of the ear that can close the ears in animals - in humans they have no function. At the back of the auricle there are small, rudimentary muscles that can stiffen the ear - less in humans than in animals, which "prick up their ears" in this way.

The relief of the auricle

The relief of the auricle consists of a prominent, rolled free edge (helix) and an inner fold (anthelix), which frames the actual auricle (concha). The anthelix runs parallel to the helix and divides in the upper area into two legs (crus superius anthelicis and crus inferius anthelicis). The helix and anthelix are separated by a recess (scapha).

The auricle cavity (concha) is divided into two parts, an upper and a lower part, by an extension of the helix. The transition to the external auditory canal starts from the lower one. This is also where the ear cover (tragus) is located and, opposite, the antitragus.

What problems can the auricle cause?

Protruding ears are a congenital, mostly bilateral form and position error of the auricula. In most cases, the anthelix is ​​absent from the bulge. Depending on the degree of severity, protruding ears should be corrected surgically (otoplasty), preferably before the child starts school (for psychological reasons).

There are congenital malformations of the auricle, such as a drooping ear (Aztec ear).

A rash with many small blisters on the ear can indicate an infection with the herpes zoster virus (shingles). Doctors call this clinical picture herpes zoster oticus. It is quite painful and can lead to hearing impairment, impaired balance and even paralysis of the facial muscles.

Congenital ear cysts or fistulas can cause abscesses on and in the ear.

Trauma (accidents, injuries, etc.) can lead to a bruise on the ear. Blood collects between the cartilage and the skin of the auricle. Because this often happens in sports such as boxing or wrestling, doctors also refer to the boxer's ear, ringer's ear or cauliflower ear.

Metastases from tumors can occur on the auricle, earlobe and ear cartilage.

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