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Function of the Ear:

  • Our two ears collect acoustic signals from multiple directions. The complex structures of each ear process this information and passes it on to the brain where we interpret the acoustic environment.
    • Outer Ear : The outer ear consists of the auricle which is the visible part of the ear, the auditory canal and the tympanic membrane (eardrum). The auricle collects and passes acoustic signals (sound waves) into the auditory canal and directs them further to the tympanic membrane and causes it to vibrate.
    • Middle Ear : The middle ear is the cavity between tympanic membrane and inner ear. It contains the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the body - the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes. These bones are connected to the tympanic membrane on one side and to a thin layer of tissue at the entrance of the inner ear (oval window) on the other side. The middle ear is also connected to the throat via the eustachian tube which keeps the air pressure in the middle ear equal to the atmospheric pressure.
    • Inner Ear : The inner ear is divided by the cochlea, which is in charge of the processing of the auditory input and the semicircular canals, which serve as the body's balance organ. The cochlea is fluid filled and consists of thousands of sensory hair cells, attached to a membrane. These haircells are bent when the fluid is displaced by sound waves passed on by the three middle ear bones. The movement of the sensory hair cells triggers then a chemical response which activates the corresponding nerve endings, which transmit the message to the area in the brain, responsible of interpreting the auditory input.
    • 3D Image of the Ear
    • Acoustic Signals
    • Auditory Pathway