Parts Of The Ear And Understanding How They Work

The structure of the ear has been designed by nature in such a way that you can hear well. The external ear anatomy is as important as the internal ear anatomy. Damage to any one of the parts of the ear can lead to hearing impairment. Let’s review the parts of the ear:

1. Outer Ear Anatomy

The outer or external ear anatomy consists of the pinna, ear lobe, ear canal, and ear drum.

• Pinna is the outer visible part of the ear, made of flexible cartilage while ear lobe is the lower fleshy part of the ear.                                                            
• Ear canal is the passage between the outer and middle ear.                          
• Ear drum or tympanic membrane separates outer and middles ears.

2. Middle Ear Anatomy

The middle ear anatomy consists of the ear drum and ossicles.                                                                                                                 

• Ear drum                                                             
• A space which houses three small bones called ossicles which are named as the Malleus (hammer), Incus and Stapes (stirrup).

3.  Inner Ear Anatomy

The inner ear anatomy consists of the cochlea, vestibular system, and auditory nerve:                                                                                                                                 

• Cochlea contains fluid and the Organ of Corti or organ of hearing, which is identical to the shell of a snail. The Organ of Corti is rich in thousands of functional sensory hair cells called inner and outer hair cells, which have extensions known as cilia.
• The Vestibular system is responsible for the balance of your body. It contains semicircular canals which are three in number and expanded parts, utricle, and saccule.
• Auditory nerve

4. Auditory (ear) Nerve

The nerve fibres of the auditory nerve are in contact with the inner hair cells which convey the sound information to the auditory nerve which is carried to the brain.

5. Auditory (Hearing) System

The structure of the ear starts a sequence of reactions which ultimately results in hearing.  The external ear anatomy facilitates in collection of sounds, the middle ear anatomy magnifies the sounds and the inner ear anatomy converts the sounds into signals to be carried to the brain.                                      

The pinna collects the sounds and transmits them through the ear canal to the eardrum which begins vibrating. The eardrum initiates vibrations in the small bones of the middle ear which magnify the vibrations and further transmit into fluid in the inner ear. The sensory hair cells of the inner ear are, thus, activated which convert the vibrations into electro-chemical impulses. The auditory nerve transmits these impulses to the brain and interpreted there as sounds, speech, music or noise.

Thus, the parts of the ear are arranged systematically and work in collaboration with each other so that you can hear properly. In case, you noticed some degree of hearing loss which is gradually progressing, then an issue may be concerned with the structure of the ear. Don’t delay in seeking medical advice and assessment. We have a wide collection of products and a team of specialists to help you meet your hearing needs and improve the quality of life.