Does the human pinna (outer ear) continue to grow throughout one's life.

Hi ccdog,

The answer is yes they do continue to grow thoughout life. The pinnas
or the outer part of the ear act as a sound funnel to the middle and
inner ear.

"A persons hearing ability deteriorates with the advance of old age.
The ears, however, continue to grow. The reason for this phenomenon is
that the outer ear functions like a funnel. The funnel increases in
size in order to trap sounds more efficiently, thus compensating for
deteriorating hearing ability."

From: Youth Hear IT - The ear - A magnificent organ
http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:z3o-Ain7E9YC:www.youth.hear-it.org/page.dsp%3Fpage%3D1650+human+pinna+continue+grow+in+old+age&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Google search:  "human ears + pinna + age"  

Best regards,

tlspiegel
Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 03 Jan 2003 19:54 PST

Hi ccdgog,

A comment has been made in regards to the actual "reason" the pinna
continue to grow throughout one's lifetime.  That doesn't change the
answer to your question, which is Yes the outer ear continues to grow
as one ages.

It very well may be a cartilage reason.  As quoted from the Merck
Manual of Geriatrics.  My colleague, Pinkfreud has answered a very
similar question about noses and ears at the following link:

https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=135826

"Changes in Cartilage
Nonarticular cartilage grows throughout life; eg, the ears and nose
tend to grow larger relative to the face as a person ages. Age-related
crystal formation and calcification occur in cartilage, but the effect
of these changes on cartilage function is unclear."

Aging and the Musculoskeletal System
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mm_geriatrics/sec7/ch48.htm

Regards,

tlspiegel
Google Answers Researcher

The answer was to the point although it may not be completely factual.
 The best part of getting the answer was the other people who cared
enough to respond to the original answer with great clarifications and
comments.
Thanks for your help.
ccdog

My formal education is a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics, and we were
never taught that the "reason" for the ever-enlarging pinna was to
assist with deteriorating hearing.  Rather, the pinna's structure is
cartilagenous and, like other similar cartelagenous structures such as
the non-bony part of the nose, keeps growing with time.  It's just one
of those things.

jcg