What is the point of ear wax, what does it do?
Ear wax is sticky because its primary purpose is to catch stuff that enters the ear canal and remove it. It also helps to lubricate the ear canal. Cerumen (the medical term) is made in the outer part of the ear canal by the secretions of glands. Interestingly, one of the components is cholesterol. The cerumen migrates outward from the ear drum and carries any foreign matter (like dust, dead skin cells, etc.) with it. It also helps keep the skin inside the ear canal moist, since having dry skin there would be extremely uncomfortable. Also, because of its makeup and acidity, cerumen is antimicrobial and serves to kill bacteria that would otherwise cause an ear infection and/or infiltrate the ear into the body at large. Here’s an article that will tell you everything you want to know about earwax (and probably more).
