Do Your Ears And Nose Really Continue To Grow As You Age

TL;DR

As we age, our noses and ears appear to be bigger because of the effects of gravity on our cartilage, causing it to stretch and sag over time.

Transcript

Anyone retiring from the coal-mines of life, might have noticed an ever growing defacement. Their noses and ears appear to be bigger. In fact, they are. There is a common misconception this growth is due to cartilage continuing to grow as you age. In reality, this isn’t true. The real reason our noses and ears keep growing is the result of that red... Read More

Key Insights

• 💗 Our noses and ears appear to grow larger as we age due to the effects of gravity on cartilage, not because of continued cartilage growth.
• 💆 The breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers in cartilage contributes to its stretch and sag over time.
• 💠 Hyaline cartilage is responsible for the shape of the nose, while elastic cartilage is responsible for the shape of the ears.
• ❓ The growth processes of cartilage (interstitial and appositional) do not result in an overall increase in cartilage size.
• 🤕 The appearance of larger facial features in old age is also influenced by the loss of volume in surrounding facial areas.
• 💗 Sharks continue to grow throughout their lives due to their skeletal structure being mostly cartilage, unlike humans.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do our noses and ears appear to be bigger as we age?

The growth of our noses and ears is not due to cartilage continuing to grow but rather the effects of gravity causing cartilage to stretch and sag over time. Collagen and elastin fibers also break down, contributing to elongation.

Q: Do all types of cartilage contribute to the growth of our facial features?

No, only hyaline cartilage (found in the nose) and elastic cartilage (found in the ears) are responsible for the growth and shape of our facial features. Fibrocartilage plays a different role in shock absorption.

Q: Does the number of cells in our cartilage increase as we age?

No, studies have shown that the number of cells in our cartilage actually decreases as we age, specifically 1.8 times lower after the age of 40. The misconception that cartilage continues to grow is mainly seen in sharks, not humans.

Q: Can the elongation of our ears be used to determine our approximate age?

Yes, studies have found that ears elongate by 0.22 millimeters per year. This ratio can be utilized by forensic scientists to estimate a person's age.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cartilage, which comes in three forms (hyaline, elastic, and fibrocartilage), is responsible for the growth and shape of our noses and ears.

• Cartilage grows through two processes: interstitial and appositional growth, but this does not result in the overall increase in size of our cartilage as we age.

• The appearance of larger noses and ears in old age is due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers in cartilage, as well as the loss of volume in surrounding facial areas.