Unless you’re an otolaryngologist from upstate New York, understanding the differences between an ear canal and the Erie Canal can prove very difficult.  Gomerblog tries to help describe the subtle differences.  This article does not discuss an eerie canal, which is simply a canal that is scary looking.

The ear canal is a tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear, ending at the eardrum.  It is about 2.5 centimeters long.  The Erie Canal is a water route running from where Albany meets the Hudson River and where Buffalo meets Lake Erie.  The Erie Canal is about 363 miles long.  It does not end at the eardrum.

When it was completed in 1825, the Erie Canal greatly impacted not only the development and economic growth of New York City but the United States as a whole thanks to the ability transport goods more cheaply.  Ear canals have little impact on a nation’s GDP; they only transport sound and ear wax.  That being said, ear canals do have an impact on an otolaryngologist’s livelihood; usually, the more ear canals the better.

There is only one Erie Canal in the United States, but there are two ear canals per human head.

The ear canal is susceptible to infection, but so is the Erie Canal. Both the ear canal and Erie Canal are popular places for kids to put their grimy fingers.  If infected, the ear canal and the Erie Canal can drain pus.

The Erie Canal is open from May to November to small boats and larger ships.  In the winter, water is drained for routine maintenance.  In contrast, the ear canal is open all-year round to wet willies.  Ear wax can be drained from ear canals for routine maintenance at any time during the year, not just the winter.

To this day, the Erie Canal remains a popular tourist attraction and can provide for some photogenic scenery.  The same cannot be said about ear canals.

Other anatomy lessons:
– Anatomy of a Contact Precaution Stethoscope
– Anatomy of a Pager
– Anatomy of an American Football