A rare birth condition where a person is born without external ears or ear structures.
From Greek 'an-' (without) + 'otia' (ears), derived from 'ous' (ear). The term emerged in 19th-century medical literature to describe this congenital absence.
Anotia is incredibly rare—only about 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 30,000 births—and it demonstrates how our medical naming system uses ancient Greek prefixes to describe missing body parts. Interestingly, people with anotia can still hear because the inner ear structures may be intact, just hidden beneath the skin.
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