Human Body : Ears

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The major functions of the ear are to help us to maintain the balance and to aid in hearing capabilities.The ear has three main sections:

The outer ear is the pinna, and its function is to gather the sound waves like a funnel and transmit to the middle ear through the ear canal.

The ear drum covers the other end of the canal.

The sound waves that strike the ear drum setup a vibration. This vibration then travels to the three small bones (ossicles) of the middle ear, (the malleus, stapes and incus). The bones of the middle ear move and strike the oval window. The vestibular window separates the middle ear from the inner ear.

The inner ear is also called the cochlea, which is a dual membrane, delicate in structure, with fluid between the membranes and lined with hair cells. The movement of the hair cells that line cochlea, in response to the sound waves, sends electrical impulses to the brain which interprets the sounds we hear.

Find out more about the ear here…

The human ear by