![]() ![]() The oval ear is one of the structures needed for sound to travel successfully from the outside environment to the cochlea. This bending of the hair cells causes electrical signals to be sent to the brain by way of the auditory nerve.All parts of the ear each play their own role in either balance or hearing. Sensory cells, called hair cells, bend in the cochlea as the fluid is disrupted by the mechanical vibrations. The cochlea changes the mechanical vibrations from the eardrum and the ossicles into a sequence of electrical impulses. The cochlea is the hearing organ of the inner ear, which is a fluid-filled structure that looks like a snail’s shell. The semicircular canals do not contribute to hearing, but assist in maintaining balance as we move. The inner ear has two main structures: the semicircular canals and the cochlea. The inner ear is an organ located deep within the temporal bone, which is the bone of the skull on both sides of the head above the outer ear. When this happens, you might hear a soft popping sound. It can also be intentionally opened to equalize pressure in the ears, such as when flying in an airplane. This tubular structure is normally closed, but it can be involuntarily opened by swallowing, yawning, or chewing. The middle ear is encased in bone and does not associate with outside air except through the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube is the middle ear’s air pressure equalizing system. The ossicles translate mechanical vibrations received at the eardrum into the inner ear. The malleus is embedded in the innermost layer of the tympanic membrane, and the stapes is connected to a membranous window of the inner ear, called the oval window. These three bones form a connected chain in the middle ear. These are the three tiny bones (smallest in the human body) in the middle ear: malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup) and their job is to further amplify the sound. The ossicles are the three tiny bones of the middle ear located directly behind the tympanic membrane. Although it is an extremely thin membrane, the eardrum is made up of three layers to increase its strength. ![]() ![]() The eardrum, or tympanic membrane (TM), is the dividing structure between the outer and middle ear. Earwax is normal, unless it completely blocks the ear canal. Earwax (cerumen) accumulates in the ear canal and serves as a protective barrier to the skin from bacteria and moisture. This means that there is an abundant flow of blood to the ear canal. This part of the ear is lined with only a few layers of skin and fine hair, with many veins traveling all around it. The ear canal, also called the external auditory meatus, is the other important outer ear landmark. The pinna, with its grooves and ridges, provides a natural volume boost for sounds in the 2000 to 3000 Hz frequency range, where we perceive many consonant sounds of speech. The part of the outer ear that we see is called the pinna, or auricle. These electrical impulses are transmitted to the auditory nerve and up to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.The hair cells change the movement into electrical impulses. The movement of the fluid in the inner ear causes the hair cells in the cochlea to bend.The motion of the three bones causes the fluid in the inner ear, or cochlea, to move.The sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, which sets the three tiny bones in the middle ear into motion.The sound waves are gathered by the outer ear and sent down the ear canal to the eardrum. Sound is transmitted through the air as sound waves from the environment.
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