Anatomy of the Ear
Understanding how the Ear works
Nature of Sound: Sound waves are vibrations and acoustic energy
Outer Ear
- Pinna (Auricle)
- Ear Canal
- Tympanic Membrane (eardrum)
Middle Ear
* Acoustic Energy is turned into Mechanical Energy
* This is an air filled cavity
- Ossicles:
- Malleus (Hammer)
- Incus (Anvil)
- Stapes (Stirrup)
- Eustation Tube: controls air pressure
- Oval Window: doorway to the inner ear
Inner Ear
* Mechaniecal Energy is turned into Electrical Energy
* This is a fluid filled cavity
- Cochlea: main sensory organ for the hearing
- Cilia: hair cells on the cochlea
- Semicircular Canals: controls balance
- Auditory Tube/Nerve: tube/nerve connecting the ear to the brain
- Brain
The Process of how sound transmit from the Ear to the Brain:
The pinna functions like a catcher's mitt. It catches the sound waves and sends them down to the external auditory ear canal. It then hits the tympanic membrane (eardrum) and causes it to vbrate. The acoustic energy is turned into mechanical energy after setting the eardrum into motion. After the acoustic energy hits the tympanic membrane, the eardrum causes vibrations of the ossicles which then transmits sound waves through the middle ear. When the sound goes though the doorway between the middle and inner ear, the sound turns into fluids. The fluids in the inner ear washes over the cilia of the cochlear and is then changed into electrical energy. The electrical impulses are then transmitted by neurons along the auditory nerve to the brain.
Outer Ear
- Pinna (Auricle)
- Ear Canal
- Tympanic Membrane (eardrum)
Middle Ear
* Acoustic Energy is turned into Mechanical Energy
* This is an air filled cavity
- Ossicles:
- Malleus (Hammer)
- Incus (Anvil)
- Stapes (Stirrup)
- Eustation Tube: controls air pressure
- Oval Window: doorway to the inner ear
Inner Ear
* Mechaniecal Energy is turned into Electrical Energy
* This is a fluid filled cavity
- Cochlea: main sensory organ for the hearing
- Cilia: hair cells on the cochlea
- Semicircular Canals: controls balance
- Auditory Tube/Nerve: tube/nerve connecting the ear to the brain
- Brain
The Process of how sound transmit from the Ear to the Brain:
The pinna functions like a catcher's mitt. It catches the sound waves and sends them down to the external auditory ear canal. It then hits the tympanic membrane (eardrum) and causes it to vbrate. The acoustic energy is turned into mechanical energy after setting the eardrum into motion. After the acoustic energy hits the tympanic membrane, the eardrum causes vibrations of the ossicles which then transmits sound waves through the middle ear. When the sound goes though the doorway between the middle and inner ear, the sound turns into fluids. The fluids in the inner ear washes over the cilia of the cochlear and is then changed into electrical energy. The electrical impulses are then transmitted by neurons along the auditory nerve to the brain.
Source of Image:
Human Ear [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2010, from
http://www.infj.ulst.ac.uk/~pnic/HumanEar/Andy%27s%20Stuff/MScProject/workingcode_Local/humanear.jpg