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Explain the structure and working of the human ear.Also give a well labelled diagram.

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

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View Full Answer
The human ear is divided into three sections, the outer, middle and inner ear and plays an important role in hearing. The outer ear consists of the pinna (auricle) that leads into the external auditory canal. It collects sound waves from a wide area and funnels the sound into the external ear passage. On the inside surface of the outer ear is the tympanic membrane (eardrum). It is stretched across the end of the auditory canal separating the outer ear from the middle ear.

The middle ear consists of small bones called ossicles. They are the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil) and the stapes (stirrup). They transfer sound waves to the inner ear. Located covering an opening into the inner ear is called the oval window. Below is another membrane called the round window that stretches across the opening and adjoins the cochlea in the inner ear.

The inner ear comprises a coiled structure called the cochlea. The snail-like spiral coiled tube contains the receptors for sound and the vestibular apparatus that is associated with a sense of balance. The cochlear duct contains the organ of Corti, which contains auditory receptor cells. The auditory nerve transmits sound vibrations to the brain. 

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