IN OUR series on amazing facts about your body, it is time to turn to a body part which you cannot actually see on yourself, only in a mirror or a photo. Yep - it’s your ears ! No matter how far you turn your head or move your eyes you can’t actually see them. You use your ears on a daily basis, but have you ever stopped to think about how they can be involved in seemingly unrelated processes - like maintaining your balance, experiencing motion sickness and even eating? From whether you actually need to clean your ears to why some people’s earwax is grey, here are 12 facts you didn’t know about your own ears.
The outside of the ear is only part of the auditory system, which is divided into the outer, middle and inner ear. The part you see on the outside has a medical term, called the pinna. It's a common myth that your ears keep growing throughout your life.
Once you hit adulthood and stop growing your ears do stop growing but like other body parts, they can - and do - change with age. Your ears are made of cartilage and skin and the combination of the effects of ageing and gravity essentially mean that your earlobes begin to sag, giving the impression that they are growing. Add to that, the loss of fullness in the face in the cheeks and lips means that the relative proportions of the face and ears change, but your ears don’t grow! If you watch a cat they often seem to be moving their ears, trying to focus and pay attention to sounds.
The role of the pinna, the exte.
