Lend Me Your Ears Trivia Quiz

Answer: Axe

To give them their proper scientific names, the three bones of the middle ear are the malleus (hammer), stapes (stirrup) and incus (anvil). The malleus is the outermost bone, attached to the eardrum; the incus is attached to the malleus; and the stapes is attached to the oval window, the opening that connects the middle and inner ears.

When the eardrum vibrates, it makes the bones vibrate in turn, and they increase the force of the vibration by the time it gets to the inner ear.

Answer: Auditory nerve

'Auditory' comes from the Latin 'audire', 'to hear', and the auditory nerve helps carry sound to the brain. It is also known as the cochlear nerve or acoustic nerve, and is part of the vestibulocochlear nerve, which transmits sound to the brain. It can be found in the cochlea, a part of the inner ear shaped like a spiral.

The other part of the vestibulocochlear nerve is the vestibular nerve, which has a reverse function to the auditory nerve; it transmits information from the brain to the cochlea.

The average human auditory nerve contains approximately 30,000 nerve fibres.

Answer: True

The vestibular system is responsible for controlling our balance, and can be found in the inner ear. The majority of mammals have one, not just humans, and it works by transmitting signals from the brain to the muscles which keep us standing upright. Some ear conditions can lead to balance issues and/or dizziness; one such example is labyrinthitis (which I get from time to time), an inflammation of the inner ear that makes its victim feel like the room is spinning, and can sometimes cause hearing loss or nystagmus (an involuntary eye movement that makes it look like your pupils are darting around).

Answer: Tinnitus

The most common form of tinnitus is a ringing noise, though it can also manifest as buzzing, whooshing or throbbing, and it can also be associated with hearing loss. It can be caused by head injuries or prolonged exposure to noise, amongst other things.

It can be extremely distressing to experience, and can have a negative effect on mental health and sleep. Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways of reducing or managing symptoms. The NHS website in the UK recommends yoga and relaxation techniques, listening to soft music as a distraction, or improving sleeping habits as ways of managing tinnitus; there are also support groups for tinnitus sufferers.

Answer: Labret

The helix, rook and tragus are all parts of the ear. The tragus is the small flap of cartilage next to the earhole; the helix is the cartilage at the top of the ear, and the rook is a ridge of cartilage above the tragus. If you're thinking of getting one of these piercings, be warned: cartilage piercings can be more painful than lobe piercings as cartilage tissue is thicker and tougher (I have both lobes and the helix of my left ear pierced, and the helix definitely hurt more!) If you get an ear piercing, it is generally recommended to use saline solution to keep the area clean while it heals, although some piercers may give their customers aftercare solution.

A labret is a lower lip piercing, usually a ring/lip loop or stud, as beloved by many a metal fan.

Answer: They might slide into your brain

Cotton buds might not slide all the way into your brain, but using them is still not advisable for all of the reasons stated above. If pushed in too far, they can either push wax further into the ear canal and cause a blockage, or - even worse - rupture the ear drum. Earwax (or cerumen, to give it its scientific name) acts as a lubricant and moisturiser, stopping the ear from drying out.

It also acts as an insect repellent.

Answer: Otoplasty

Any medical term with the prefix 'oto' relates to the ear, such as 'otorhinolaryngology', the technical term for 'ear, nose and throat'. Otoplasty is used to correct congenital deformities of the outer ear, or pinna, or reconstruct the ear following damage (such as cauliflower ear, an injury often suffered by boxers) or removal. Otoplasty is actually a fairly ancient form of surgery; it dates as far back as 500 BC, when it was practised by the Indian doctor Sushruta and his students on patients whose ears had been mutilated as punishment.

Rhinoplasty is known as a 'nose job' in common parlance, brachioplasty is a procedure that involves reshaping the upper arm area, and cheiloplasty is lip surgery.

Answer: Olive oil

Olive oil is not only delicious, it is also recommended as a method of getting rid of earwax blockages (unless the patient has a ruptured eardrum). It has the ability to soften hardened clumps of earwax, making it easier for them to break apart and fall out of the ear. Some pharmacies may also sell medicines that help to unclog the ear, such as over-the-counter ear drops, which the patient squirts into their ear while lying on their side. It is generally recommended to do this for about a week.

If a patient's ears are still blocked after that, some GP practices will syringe the ear with jets of water (although this practice is falling out of favour); microsuction is another earwax removal procedure that involves a tiny vacuum being placed in the ear to suck out the wax. Both these treatments are also available privately in the UK.

Answer: Temporal bones

The temporal bones are located on both sides of your head, near the base of your skull, and the ear structures are housed there. The temporal bone is made up of four parts: squamous, mastoid, petrous and tympanic. The squamous part is at the top of the temporal bone, at the front, and has a scaly appearance. The mastoid part is at the back and has openings for blood vessels. The petrous part is triangular and located between the sphenoid and occipital bones. Finally, the tympanic part is under the squamous part and is attached to the ear canal.

As for the rest, the occipital bone is at the back of your head, the parietal bones form the sides and top of your skull, and the sphenoid bone is next to the temporal bones, towards the front of your skull, and is part of the structure that houses the orbit (the eye cavity).

Answer: Detecting and amplifying sound

Despite the name, hair cells are nothing to do with ear hairs; they act as sound and movement detectors. They get their name from the tiny bunches of hair-like structures called stereocilia, which respond to fluid movement in the ear and help monitor both hearing and balance.

They function with the aid of a process called mechanotransduction, which involves cells converting mechanical stimuli (such as sound) into electrochemical activity. The outer hair cells amplify the sound that enters the cochlea, while the inner hair cells convert the vibrations of fluid in the cochlea to electrical signals.

These signals are then transmitted to the brain. Damage to these tiny cells can lead to hearing loss.