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  • Anatomy and Physiology of The Ear

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    Gunel Aliyeva
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    The ear is divided into three main parts - the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear collects sound waves and channels them through the ear canal to the eardrum. Vibrations of the eardrum are amplified by the three smallest bones in the body, called the ossicles, and transmitted to the inner ear. In the inner ear, vibrations become electrical signals in the cochlea that are sent to the brain along the auditory nerve, where they are interpreted as sound. The inner ear also contains structures like the semicircular canals that enable balance and spatial orientation.

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    Anatomy and Physiology of the Ear

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    The ear is divided into three main parts - the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear collects sound waves and channels them through the ear canal to the eardrum. Vibrations of the eardrum are amplified by the three smallest bones in the body, called the ossicles, and transmitted to the inner ear. In the inner ear, vibrations become electrical signals in the cochlea that are sent to the brain along the auditory nerve, where they are interpreted as sound. The inner ear also contains structures like the semicircular canals that enable balance and spatial orientation.

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    145 views2 pages

    Anatomy and Physiology of The Ear

    Uploaded by

    Gunel Aliyeva
    The ear is divided into three main parts - the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear collects sound waves and channels them through the ear canal to the eardrum. Vibrations of the eardrum are amplified by the three smallest bones in the body, called the ossicles, and transmitted to the inner ear. In the inner ear, vibrations become electrical signals in the cochlea that are sent to the brain along the auditory nerve, where they are interpreted as sound. The inner ear also contains structures like the semicircular canals that enable balance and spatial orientation.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Anatomy and Physiology of the Ear

    The ear is the organ of hearing and balance. The parts of the ear include:
     External or outer ear, consisting of:
    o Pinna or auricle. This is the outside part of the ear.
    o External auditory canal or tube. This is the tube that connects the
    outer ear to the inside or middle ear.
     Tympanic membrane (eardrum). The tympanic membrane divides the
    external ear from the middle ear.
     Middle ear (tympanic cavity), consisting of:
    o Ossicles. Three small bones that are connected and transmit the sound
    waves to the inner ear. The bones are called:
     Malleus
     Incus
     Stapes
    o Eustachian tube. A canal that links the middle ear with the back of
    the nose. The eustachian tube helps to equalize the pressure in the middle
    ear. Equalized pressure is needed for the proper transfer of sound waves. The
    eustachian tube is lined with mucous, just like the inside of the nose and throat.
     Inner ear, consisting of:
    o Cochlea. This contains the nerves for hearing.
    o Vestibule. This contains receptors for balance.
    o Semicircular canals. This contains receptors for balance.

    How do you hear?

    Hearing starts with the outer ear. When a sound is made outside the outer ear, the
    sound waves, or vibrations, travel down the external auditory canal and strike the
    eardrum (tympanic membrane). The eardrum vibrates. The vibrations are then
    passed to 3 tiny bones in the middle ear called the ossicles. The ossicles amplify
    the sound. They send the sound waves to the inner ear and into the fluid-filled
    hearing organ (cochlea).
    Once the sound waves reach the inner ear, they are converted into electrical
    impulses. The auditory nerve sends these impulses to the brain. The brain then
    translates these electrical impulses as sound.

    How the Ear Works


    Understanding the parts of the ear — and the role of each in processing sounds —
    can help you better understand hearing loss.
    The Outer Ear

    The auricle (pinna) is the visible portion of the outer ear. It collects sound waves
    and channels them into the ear canal (external auditory meatus), where the sound is
    amplified.

    The sound waves then travel toward a flexible, oval membrane at the end of the ear
    canal called the eardrum, or tympanic membrane. Sound waves cause the eardrum
    to vibrate.

    The Middle Ear

    The vibrations from the eardrum set the ossicles into motion. The ossicles are
    actually tiny bones — the smallest in the human body. The three bones are named
    after their shapes: the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). The
    ossicles further amplify the sound.

    The tiny stapes bone attaches to the oval window that connects the middle ear to
    the inner ear. The Eustachian tube, which opens into the middle ear, is responsible
    for equalizing the pressure between the air outside the ear and that within the
    middle ear.

    The Inner Ear

    The sound waves enter the inner ear and then into the cochlea, a snail-shaped
    organ. The cochlea is filled with a fluid that moves in response to the vibrations
    from the oval window. As the fluid moves, 25,000 nerve endings are set into
    motion. These nerve endings transform the vibrations into electrical impulses that
    then travel along the eighth cranial nerve (auditory nerve) to the brain.

    The brain then interprets these signals, and this is how we hear.

    The inner ear also contains the vestibular organ that is responsible for balance.

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