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Lately I have seen many young adults with a pierced tragus. It also has the tendency to be hairy. The English translation of tragus is what?

Goat. The Greek word tragus translates to "goat" .

A portion of the mandible which protrudes into the ear canal is called what?

condyle. An improperly fit condyle can cause TMJ syndrome.

A pathology in the outer and/or middle ear causes which type of hearing loss?

conductive. Since the role of the outer and middle ears is to conduct the sound to the inner ear, a loss in that area would cause a conduction or "conductive" hearing loss.

Two cranial nerves course parallel in the internal auditory meatus. Which are they?

Facial and Auditory. Sometimes when you stimulate the ear at high intensity levels, you can cause a fluttering sensation in the face because of the close proximity between the facial and the auditory nerves.

A perforation in the tympanic membrane will cause which type of hearing loss?

conductive. The tympanic membrane is more commonly known as the eardrum. Since it is located in a portion of the ear which conducts sound, a condition affecting it will cause a conductive hearing loss.

What are the correct anatomical names for the bones in the middle ear?

malleus, incus, stapes. While they are commonly referred to as "hammer, anvil, and stirrup," the correct names for these bones are malleus, incus and stapes. They also happen to be the smallest bones in the human body. Collectively, these bones are referred to as ossicles.

The anatomical feature of the ear responsible for pressure equalization is known as what?

eustachian tube. The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx and helps equalize pressure inside your middle ear to atmospheric pressure on the outside. It also allows normal mucous build-up to drain into the nasopharynx.

The end organ of hearing is known as what?

organ of Corti. The organ of Corti is generally referred to as the end organ of hearing. It is located in the cochlea.

The vestibular portion of the inner ear controls balance. What are the main antatomical features of the vestibular apparatus?

semicircular canals; saccule and utricle. The semicircular canals respond to angular acceleration while the the utricle and saccule respond to gravity and forward motion.

Which bone houses and protects the cochlea?

temporal. Specifically, the petrous portion of the temporal bone. The petrous portion is the hardest section of the temporal bone.