# I gave to ear wax research!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-to-ear-wax-research/407893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 13, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-to-ear-wax-research/407893 "2007-06-13T19:50:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-to-ear-wax-research/407893/1 "2007-06-13T19:50:58Z")

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(No not really, but this was a bumper sticker produced by Mad magazine when I was a kid. It cracked me up then, and it still does)

Inspired by this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=424719) I got to wondering. What function does ear wax serve anyway? Other than to drum up business for ENTs, and to promote eargasams I have no clue.  
Fight my ignorance please.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gave-to-ear-wax-research/407893/2 "2007-06-13T22:47:33Z")

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I would have guessed that it grabs nasties, but [not so](http://www.strive4impact.com/massage_files/Articles/ear_wax.html). “We wax our tables and we wax our cars in order to protect the surface. That is exactly one of the functions of earwax (cerumen). A waxy surface repels water – it will bead up and the water will not adhere. Another protective function of earwax is preventing infection. Earwax is acidic, and bacteria does not thrive in an acid environment. If you take out the wax, you change the acidity of the ear canal lining and you are asking for an infection.”