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| | [[Image:ear.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A human ear.]] | | [[Image:ear.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A human ear.]] |
| − | The '''ear''' is the [[organ]] that collects and concentrates sound waves. It then converts these waves into electrical impulses so that the [[brain]] can process them. The ear is made up of three different sections: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. These parts all work together so you can hear and process sounds.
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| − | ==Outer Ear==
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| − | The outer ear is called the auricle. This is the visible part of the ear and its main function is to collect sounds waves and focus them down the ear canal. The ear canal produces wax, a viscous mucus with antiseptic properties, in order to trap dirt and prevent infections. Occasionally, excessive wax production blocks the canal and requires treatment.
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| − | ==Middle Ear==
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| − | The middle ear's function is to convert sound waves into [[vibration]]s that are delivered to the inner ear. To do this, it needs the [[ear drum]] (a taut thin membrane separating the outer ear from the middle ear) and the ossicles. The ossicles are the three tiniest, most delicate bones in your body. They include:
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| − | * the malleus, which is attached to the eardrum and means "hammer" in [[Latin]].
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| − | * the incus, which is attached to the malleus and means "anvil" in Latin.
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| − | * the stapes, the smallest bone in the body, which is attached to the incus and means "stirrup" in Latin.
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| − | Sound waves travelling down the ear canal strike the ear drum and cause it to vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted through the tiny ossicles - from the hammer to the anvil and then to the stirrup. These bones help sound move along on its journey into the inner ear.
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| − | ==Inner Ear==
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| − | The [[cochlea]] is a small, curled tube in the inner ear. It is filled with [[liquid]] which is set in motion when the ossicles vibrate. The inner walls of this tube are lined with millions of microscopic hairs which move in accordance with the vibrations transmitted through the liquid. The movement of these hairs cause electrical impulses to be sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. The brain then processes these signals into the sounds we hear.
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| − | The movement of the liquid in the cochlea relative to the position of our head is responsible for our sense of [[balance]].
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| | [[Category:Anatomy]] | | [[Category:Anatomy]] |
