science

Posterior auricular muscle

Posterior auricular muscle is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Posterior auricular muscle rather than just read about it. In short: The posterior auricular muscle is a muscle behind the auricle of the outer ear. It arises from the mastoid part of the temporal bone, and inserts into the lower part of the cranial surface of the auricle of the outer ear.

Key takeaways

Posterior auricular muscle belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Posterior auricular muscle to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Posterior auricular muscle from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The posterior auricular muscle is a muscle behind the auricle of the outer ear. It arises from the mastoid part of the temporal bone, and inserts into the lower part of the cranial surface of the auricle of the outer ear. It draws the auricle backwards, usually a very slight effect.

Structure The posterior auricular muscle is found behind the auricle of the outer ear. It consists of two or three fleshy fasciculi. These arise from the mastoid part of the temporal bone by short aponeurotic fibers. They insert into the lower part of the cranial surface of the auricle of the outer ear. The posterior auricular muscle is supplied by branches of the posterior auricular artery, which continues deep to the muscle. It is drained by the posterior auricular vein that accompanies the artery.

Nerve supply The posterior auricular muscle is supplied by the posterior auricular nerve, a branch of the facial nerve (VII).

Function The posterior auricular nerve draws the auricle of the outer ear backwards. This effect is usually very slight, although some people can wiggle their ears due to a more significant muscle movement. Electromyographic signals in humans suggest the posterior auricular muscle may be part of an ancient system for monitoring sounds we can't see.

Postauricular reflex

The postauricular reflex is a vestigial myogenic muscle response in humans that acts to pull the ear upward and backward. Research suggests neural circuits for auricle orienting have survived in a vestigial state for over 25 million years. It is often assumed the reflex is a vestigial Preyer reflex (also known as the pinna reflex). A study on auriculomotor activity found that in the presence of sudden, surprising sounds, the muscles around the ear closest to the direction of the sound would respond by moving involuntarily, causing the pinna to be pulled backwards and flatten.

Clinical significance If the posterior auricular muscle inserts into an unusual part of the auricle of the outer ear, this can cause protruding ears. In one study, the muscle was found to be absent in 5% of people.

See also Anterior auricular muscle Superior auricular muscle

References This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1035 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Posterior auricular muscle

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Posterior auricular muscle claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Posterior auricular muscle before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Posterior auricular muscle ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Posterior auricular muscle

In research: Posterior auricular muscle appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Posterior auricular muscle in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Posterior auricular muscle is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Human head and neck, Muscles of the head and neck, Otorhinolaryngology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Posterior auricular muscle outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Posterior auricular muscle in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Posterior auricular muscle means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Posterior auricular muscle out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Posterior auricular muscle in simple terms?

Why does Posterior auricular muscle matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Posterior auricular muscle?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Posterior auricular muscle.