Why Do We Need Earwax?
Earwax can be a gross and uncomfortable nuisance that builds up in our ears. What's the point of it, and can it tell us anything about our ancestors? Join Trace ...
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What is this stuff? ChEARio mates, Trace ear for DNews. Earwax is weird and gross, it's basically congealed ear sweat. There are two kinds of sweat: most is cooling watery sweat, but some is thicker smellier sweat -- which shows up in the armpit and ear. Earwax isn't really wax, it's mostly dead skin cells, proteins and oils added by the apocrine gland. The junk is in there to protect the inner ear from water or infection, as a foothold for bacteria. Earwax fights off some diseases and can lubricate and protect the ear from infection and water. It's a pretty common system of protection in mammals. The wax builds up over time, and in some species can reveal a lot about their past. Late last year, researchers at Baylor University used the earwax of a blue whale to reveal ...
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What is this stuff? ChEARio mates, Trace ear for DNews. Earwax is weird and gross, it's basically congealed ear sweat. There are two kinds of sweat: most is cooling watery sweat, but some is thicker smellier sweat -- which shows up in the armpit and ear. Earwax isn't really wax, it's mostly dead skin cells, proteins and oils added by the apocrine gland. The junk is in there to protect the inner ear from water or infection, as a foothold for bacteria. Earwax fights off some diseases and can lubricate and protect the ear from infection and water. It's a pretty common system of protection in mammals. The wax builds up over time, and in some species can reveal a lot about their past. Late last year, researchers at Baylor University used the earwax of a blue whale to reveal ...
