What is the tragus?

The tragus is a pointed flap on the outer ear that covers the concha, a rounded bowl that forms the back of the ear. The name of this part of the ear actually comes from the Greek word tragos . In Greek it means "goat" and refers to the look of goat tufts. This part of the outer ear is effective because it does not feel forward. On the contrary, the anterior part of this part of the ear points to the back of the head. This allows the tragus to raise the noise from behind. The brain is able to distinguish these sounds from others on the basis of the delay that passes when they hear them.

While the primary evolutionary function of this pointed flap of the ear is necessary for hearing, some modern conveniences and trends depend on it. The tragus can serve a number of purposes in contemporary society. For example, the Buds ear, a popular type of headphone used with personal music players, relies on the tragus to hold them in place.

Another use of traguse is to protectopening the ear or concha before loud noises. While some people put their fingers in their ears or covered their ears to protect themselves from loud sounds, others use a tragus as a protective flap. This is done by means of an index finger to push the flap through the opening of the ear and mute the outer sound.

Some communities decide to use a tragus for personal decoration by piercing it. This kind of piercing occurs when a small hole breaks through the flap so that the earrings can be suspended. Because there are not many nerves in this flap, some claim that piercing is not too painful, even though some have said they have experienced a sharp pain that can take a minute or more.

In some cases, piercings can lead to tragal infections. This often happens when the earrings are taken from the healing of the piercing. When this is the case, subjects state that there is a swelling on the tragus, followed by the presence of a red wound. Many of them also report redness and in some caseech further coloring. Because these infections can only enter the body with open wound or punctured skin, infections in this part of the outer ear are more common among those who had piercing or injuries.