Kids Research Express

The chain of bones in the middle ear leads into the convoluted structures of the inner ear, or labyrinth, which contains organs of both hearing and balance. The three main structures of the inner ear are the cochlea, the vestibule, and the three semicircular canals. The cochlea is a coiled tube that bears a close resemblance to the shell of a snail, which is what the word means in Greek. Along its length the cochlea is divided into three fluid-filled canals: the vestibular canal, the cochlear canal, and the tympanic canal. The partition between the cochlear canal and the tympanic canal is called the basilar membrane. Embedded in the basilar membrane is the spiral-shaped organ of Corti. The sensory cells in the organ of Corti have thousands of hairlike projections that receive sound vibrations from the middle ear and send them on to the brain via the auditory nerve. In the brain they are recognized and interpreted as specific sounds. The vestibule , the second main structure of the inn...

The outer ear is made up of the auricle, or pinna, and the outer auditory canal. The auricle is the curved part of the ear attached to the side of the head by small ligaments and muscles. It consists largely of elastic cartilage , and its shape helps collect sound waves from the air. The earlobe, or lobule, which hangs from the lower part of the auricle, contains mostly fatty tissue. The outer auditory canal, which measures about 3 cm (about 1.25 in) in length, is a tubular passageway lined with delicate hairs and small glands that produce a wax-like secretion called cerumen. The canal leads from the auricle to a thin taut membrane called the eardrum or tympanic membrane, which is nearly round in shape and about 10 mm (0.4 in) wide. It is the vibration of the eardrum that sends sound waves deeper into the ear, where they can be processed by complex organs and prepared for transmission to the brain . The cerumen in the outer auditory canal traps and retains dust and dirt that might othe...

Ear, organ of hearing and balance. Only vertebrates , or animals with backbones, have ears. Invertebrate animals, such as jellyfish and insects, lack ears, but have other structures or organs that serve similar functions. The most complex and highly developed ears are those of mammals . The human ear consists of three sections: the outer ear , the middle ear , and the inner ear . The outer ear includes the auricle (pinna), the visible part of the ear that is attached to the side of the head, and the waxy, dirt-trapping auditory canal. The tympanic membrane (eardrum) separates the external ear from the middle ear, an air-filled cavity. Bridging this cavity are three small bones—the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), and the stapes (stirrup). The cochlea and semicircular canals make up the inner ear.. related articles: DISEASES OF THE HUMAN EAR