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Home >>Biology Dictionary >> Ear Ossicle - Ecological Amplitude

Ear. The sense organ in vertebrates that is specialized for the detection of sound and the maintenance of balance. It can be divided into the outer ear and middle ear, which collect and transmit sound waves, and the inner ear, which contains the organs of balance and (except in fish) hearing. The term ear is often used for the pinna of the mammalian outer ear.

Ear drum. A membrane situated at the end of the external auditory meatus at the junction of the outer and middle ear. Vibrations are set up in the membrane by sound waves and these are transmitted by the ear ossicles to the oval window.

Ear, middle.
Present in tetrapods only, develops from first pharyngeal pouch; the cavity of the pouch is tympanic cavity communicating to pharynx through eustachian tube, and its outer wall makes the tympanum (tympanic membrane); crossed by ear ossicles, and enclosed in a bony tympanic bulla in mammals only.

Ear ossicles. Bone in middle ear in tetrapods connecting eardrum to internal ear transmitting ear-drum vibrations caused by aerial sound waves; single ossicles, columella auris (hymandibular of fishes) in tetrapods except mammals where the ossicles are three – mallens (modified particular bone,) incus (modified quadrate) and stapes (columella) from hyomandibular cartilage of hyoid arch.

Ear, outer (external ear). In the form of auditory canal or external auditory meatus of some reptiles and all birds and mammals, and pinna, a flap of skin and cartilage at outer opening of meatus present only in mammals to collect airborne sound waves from other directions as pinna is moved with the help of ear muscles; which are vestigial in man.

However, pinna is not vestigeal in man; auditory canal is about 3 or 4 cm deep, oblique, bears ceruminous gland, to secrete cerumen (ear wax) preventing the entry of dust particles providing protection to the tympanum. Auditory canal is shallow in reptiles, deeper in birds and best developed in mammals.

Earthworms. Their body is segmented externally as well as internally. It feeds on dead organic matter found in the soil.

Ecdysone. Steroid hormone, secreted from the prothoracic glands of insects, initiating ecdysis.

Ecesis.
Germination and establishment of colonizing plants.

Echolocation . Determination of position of objects by detecting the reflection from them of sounds (usually high-pitched) produced by the animal. Many mammals use it, e.g. bats, porpoises.

Ecology. Study of the relations of animals and plants, particularly of animal and plant communities, to their surroundings, animate and inanimate.

Ecological amplitude.
Potentiality for growth of a species with in a limited range of environmental conditions.

Ecological balance. In nature, there exists an ecological balance. It means that the activities of various organism in the environment which interact with each other are so finely balanced that they are in equilibrium or in steady state.

Ecospecies. A category of plants comprising one or more ecotype (q.v.) within a coenospecies whose members can reproduce amongst themselves without loss of fertility in offspring. Approximates to conventional ‘species’.

Ecosystem. Ecological system; a self- sustaining, energy – driven and interacting system of living organisms and their non – living environment.

Ecotone.
A boundary between two plants communities of major rank.

Ecotype. Group of plants within a species adapted genetically to a particular habitat but able to cross freely with other ecotypes of the same species.

Ectoderm. The external layer of cells of the gastrula, which will develop into the skin epidermis and the nervous system in the adult. See also germ layers.

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