title: Swirls, wrinkles and the whole ball of wax (the source of keratin in cerumen).
abstract: Recent work carried out at the Ear Pathology Research Laboratory has demonstrated that cerumen plugs consist of a large amount of keratin debris. In this study the site of origin of this keratin was investigated. This was done by histologically examining these cerumen plugs without disturbing the natural relationship between the plug and the surrounding epithelium. We have clearly demonstrated that a cerumen plug consists of keratin arising from the migratory epithelium of the deep external auditory canal and epithelium of the superficial external auditory canal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Naiberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hawke
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D002571:Cerumen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins