Question

Give reason for the removal of wax layer too often will raise the incidence of ear infection.

Answer 1

The ear is the one of the sense organs of our body. It helps us to hear and also, it helps in the maintenance of body balance in mammals. It is usually divided into three parts: the inner ear, the middle ear and the outer ear which develops from the three different germ layers.

Complete answer:
Our ear has basically three parts: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The outer ear consists of the pinna (it collects the vibrations from air) and external auditory meatus (it is basically a canal that leads inwards till the tympanic membrane or ear drum). In pinna and meatus, there are various sebaceous glands that secrete wax.
The middle ear is made up of three ossicles called malleus, incus and stapes connected in a chain like fashion. These ear ossicles increase the transmission of sound efficiency that reaches the inner ear. The Eustachian tube present in the ear connects the cavity of the middle ear to the pharynx. It helps in equalizing the pressure on both the ear drums.
The inner ear has a fluid called labyrinth which has two parts, a bony part and the other, the membranous part. The coiled part of the labyrinth is called a cochlea. The organ of corti is located on the basilar membrane that contains hair cells which act as auditory receptors. The inner ear also has a complex system called a vestibular apparatus which is located above the cochlea.
Ear wax is a yellow colored waxy substance produced by the sebaceous glands present in the outer ear. It plays a major role in protecting the skin of the ear canal and lubrication. It also helps in preventing the invasion of bacteria, fungi, insects as well as water. The wax layer should be removed occasionally so that dirt can be removed. But if this layer is removed too often, the chances of infection will increase and can consequently result in severe ear infections.

Note: In the hearing process, the sound waves are received by the outer ear and are led to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates with the same intensity in response to the sound waves which are then transmitted through ear ossicles to cochlea via the oval window. In cochlea the vibrations are generated in lymph and are absorbed by a basilar membrane in which the hairs bend and generate nerve impulses which are transmitted to the auditory cortex of the brain where the sound is analyzed and recognized.