The Ear The Physiology & Function of the Ear

Anatomy of the Ear

The Outer Ear The outer ear consists of the auditory canal and the exterior of the tympanic membrane, better known as the eardrum.

The Middle Ear The malleus, incus and stapes, which are small bones often referred to as ossicles, belong to the middle ear, along with the interior of the tympanic membrane.

The Inner Ear The inner ear includes the cochlea and the semicircular canals.

There are two nerves that connect the ear to the brain. (The semicircular canals and vestibular nerves don’t relay any information relating to hearing; their purpose is to give us a sense of gravity and balance)

Semicircular Canals Each canal is filled with a fluid called endolymph and contains motion sensors within the fluids.endolymph At the base of each canal, the bony region of the canal is enlarged which opens into the utricle and has a dilated sac at one end called the ampulla.utricleampulla Within the ampulla is a mound of hair cells and supporting cells called crista ampullaris. These hair cells are composed of many cilia and embedded in a gelatinous structure called the cupula.crista ampullariscilia As the head rotates the duct moves but the endolymph lags behind. This deflects the cupula and bends the cilia within. The bending of these cilia alters an electric signal that is transmitted to the brain

Signal Processing Functions of the Ear