Hair and Ears
Hair – individual strands growing from the scalp are called this in both the individual and collective. Some people like to style or cut them since they grow continuously throughout the course of a life.
Follicle – what the little holes that the hairs growing out of are called. The number of hairs can increase or decrease through the course of a life but most of the times these do not. Hair loss can occur to a number of different things such as stress or disease. Excess hair growth usually occurs in response to a number of metabolic or endocrine conditions. These will be discussed in a later position. Hair loss doesn't usually occur in women, only in men when they reach mid to late age. The prevailing theory on this case is more than likely due to stress and poor nutrition. Studies have shown that when the stress is properly cared for and nutrition is fixed, hair can and does grow back in again.
Ears – are those two matching organs on either side of the head that enable you to listen. These come in all different shapes and sizes. One wise guy once said that no two people in the world had any ears alike. I beg to differ on that, because ear shapes and size are not unique to a particular person.
Auditory canal - This thing collects earwax, seriously. The technical term for it is known as cerumen. A little warm water or oil inside the ear will loosen this up when it's clogged. Make sure it's not too hot though or it can damage the hearing. Due to its' connection to the respiratory system (in the neck), through passages known as Eustachian tubes, the ears can get affected by disease rather easily. In fact, if you have a cold and you're congested, it's quite common for the ears to become blocked with fluid and your hearing impaired. Thankfully, this resolves once health has returned.
Eardrum – a membrane inside the ear between the middle and inner that sounds bounce off. Try not to stick objects into your ears to clean the earwax out. For one it damages this membrane. For another, it only packs the earwax further into the ear and doesn't clean anything out. This is because the wax has to be very soft in order to stick to an object easily. It can also be damaged by loud noises or weakened with age. Thankfully, as with all membranes, this one too can regrow.
Middle Ear – made up of the malleolus, the incus, and the stapes. These three tiny bones bounce sounds off and carry them to the nerves waiting beyond. This system then connects in this fashion to the brain where the sound is received. Once inside the brain, it travels to the centers of language for interpretation, translation, and processing. Then the brain can finally formulate a reply. Back inside the ear, these three little bones float in formation surrounded by air.
Inner Ear – contains the cochlea.
Cochlea – the sensing organ responsible for conveying the sound from the bones to the nerves is this. It sits just inside the inner ear. This liquid filled structure also helps keep a sense of balance. If you're feeling dizzy or lightheaded, sometimes this is responsible. It can be due to a number of things including cerebrospinal fluid leaks from the brain and dehydration. Any fluid or pressure inside the middle ear from say congestion in the lungs, sinuses, or nose puts pressure on the inner ear throwing off the balance.