Explain the structure of ear ?
The ear is one of the five sensory organs of our body. It recognizes the sound waves from various sources. The following figure shows the structure of a human ear.
The human ear consists of three main parts known as the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The following chart shows the various parts of the ear.
Eardrum is the intersection of the outer and the middle ear.
Oval window is the intersection of the middle and the inner ear.
The stirrup bone of the middle ear is the smallest bone in human body.
Functioning of human ear
The following table lists the functions of different parts of the human ear.
Ear part | Sub-part | Functioning |
Outer ear | Pinna | Collects and sends the sound to the ear canal |
Ear canal | Sound travels through it to reach the eardrum | |
Ear drum or tympanic membrane | A very sensitive membrane that vibrates in response to the sound | |
Middle ear | Middle ear bones | Transfers the sound energy to the cochlea |
Eustachian tube | Connects the middle ear to the throat | |
Inner ear | Semi-circular canal | Sends messages to the brain for balancing |
Cochlea | Sends sound messages in the form of electrical impulses to the brain | |
Auditory nerve | Conducts electrical messages to the brain when sound is heard |