Anatomy of the Ear

The ear is the organ of hearing balance and consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear and the middle ear are used for the transmission of sound. Sounds are just tiny movements of air molecules around us and the moving air makes the eardrum vibrate. Three hinged bones attached to the eardrum amplify the sound, rippling the fluid in the cochlea, which is picked up by the organs of Corti, which sends nerve signals to the brain. The inner ear is responsible for analysing sound waves, and also contains the mechanism by which the body keeps its balance.

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The two ears work in unison, they can locate the source of a sound by the difference in volume and timing as it reaches the two sides of the head.

The outer ear is comprised of the pinna and the ear canal. The middle ear is comprised of the eardrum and the ossicles: - malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), stapes (stirrup) and the eustachian tube. The inner ear is comprised of the vestibule, semicircular canals and the cochlea. Sensory impulses from the inner ear pass to the brain via the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Text and image courtest of Jill Fraser.