Tragus (ear)

The Tragus is a small pointed eminence of the external ear, located in front of the concha, and projecting backward over the meatus. It also is the name of hair growing at the entrance of the ear. Its name comes from the Greek: tragos, goat, and is descriptive of its general covering on its under surface with a tuft of hair, resembling a goat's beard.

The right auricula. Lateral view.

Anatomy

The tragus is a prominent part of the external ear, formed of cartilage and skin. It is directed obliquely backward, and also upward and outward. It is slightly curved, with the convexity directed outward. The tragus is covered on its surface by skin, and on its under surface by a thin layer of tissue. It contains a thin layer of yellowish fat, and is seamed with a branch of the auriculotemporal nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve.

Clinical significance

The tragus can sometimes be used to aid in the use of a stethoscope. By pressing a stethoscope to the tragus, a health care provider can better hear sounds from within the body. This is known as tragal pressure.

The tragus is also often the site of a common form of body piercing known as a tragus piercing.

See also

• Auricle (anatomy)
• Ear canal
• Helix (ear)

References

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