Precocious Pete is asked, "How many auricles do you have?" and he responds by counting with his fingers and holding them up. How many fingers?

queproblema

Four: two pinnae, one stuck on each side of his head, and two atria, hidden deep inside. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2396 Aug 29 08, 9:45 PM

zbeckabee

Four -- The left and right pinna along with two atrial [heart]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricle Four will get you six if you want cervical auricles: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/6380/1/is06008.pdf And counting... Aug 29 08, 9:48 PM

edmund80

Yes.....partly ! Two for the ears, yes. Two for the heart, yes....but it is a common mistake even among anatomy students to identify the auricles of the atria as the atria themselves. The auricles of the heart are merely appendages ( sometimes called " auricular appendages " ) of each atria, and are not the atria themselves. But....brava ( ! ) to zb for mentioning the rare cervical auricle which I have read about but never seen. They usually occur unilaterally, so Precocious Pete could have raised four fingers, plus a tentative fifth. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/43354/auricle http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1184420111.html Aug 30 08, 11:11 AM

zbeckabee

My error -- I was attempting to give a general location and ended up making that pesky and "common mistake made even among anatomy students." Though the cervical auricle usually occurs unilaterally, bilateral involvement has been known to "pop up." The question does not indicate illness or symptoms. I vote for Pete having an ultra rare case of Kimura's disease presenting as bilateral auricular masses. Thus, Pete is holding up SIX fingers. :) Aug 30 08, 3:25 PM