The Ear

3 Main Parts – outer, middle, and inner

OUTER EAR The outer ear is the part visible on each side of your head. It's made up of folds of skin and cartilage, called the pinna (PIN-uh), and the ear canal.

Middle Ear The middle ear is an air-filled cavity between the eardrum and inner ear. It's connected to the back of your nose and upper part of your throat by a narrow channel called the auditory tube (eustachian tube).

Bones of the Middle Ear The middle ear cavity contains three tiny bones — the hammer, anvil and stirrup — named for their corresponding shape When sound waves travel through the ear canal, the vibration of your eardrum causes these bones to vibrate

Inner Ear The inner ear contains two of the most intricate parts of the hearing mechanism: the cochlea and vestibular labyrinth

Cochlea Sound vibrations from the oval window travel into the fluid of the cochlea, where tiny specialized cells convert the vibrations into electrical impulses.

Semicircular Canals The vestibular labyrinth consists of three semicircular tubes that connect to one another and control your sense of balance. These canals contain fluid and cells sensitive to fluid movement. The cells track your body's movement so that you're aware of where your head is in relation to the world around you.

Auditory Nerve Electrical impulses travel through the auditory nerve to various information processing centers within your brain.

Inner Ear