Ear

In vertebrates, an ear is the organ that enables hearing and (in mammals) body balance using the vestibular system. In humans, the ear is described as having three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of the auricle, the visible outer part, and the ear canal. The middle ear includes the tympanic cavity and the three ossicles. The inner ear sits in the bony labyrinth, and contains structures which are key to several senses: the semicircular canals, which enable balance and eye tracking when moving; the utricle and saccule, which enable balance when stat

Earwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, is a waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and other mammals. Earwax can be many colors, including brown, orange, red, yellowish, and gray. Earwax protects the skin of the human ear canal, assists in cleaning and lubrication, and provides protection against bacteria, fungi, particulate matter, and water.

In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pressure of sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear, and thence to the oval window in the fluid-filled cochlea. The ear thereby converts and amplifies vibration in the air to vibration in cochlear fluid. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles.

The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle of the middle ear. It connects with the incus, and is attached to the inner surface of the eardrum. The word is Latin for 'hammer' or 'mallet'. It transmits the sound vibrations from the eardrum to the incus (anvil).

thumb|3D model of cochlea and semicircular canals The cochlea is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, in humans making 2.75 turns around its axis, the modiolus. A core component of the cochlea is the organ of Corti, the sensory organ of hearing, which is distributed along the partition separating the fluid chambers in the coiled tapered tube of the cochlea.

The incus (: incudes) or anvil in the ear is one of three small bones (ossicles) in the middle ear. The incus receives vibrations from the malleus, to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the stapes medially. The incus is named for its resemblance to an anvil ().

part of the ear that lies between the eardrum and the oval window

tube found in the middle ear which equalises pressure and drains mucus, connecting the middle ear to the throat

outboard part of the ear

The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three irregular bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, and are among the smallest bones in the human body. Although the term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone" (from ) and may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers specifically to the malleus, incus and stapes ("hammer, anvil, and stirrup") of the middle ear.

1739–1748 conflict between Britain and Spain

the outer portion of the ear which includes the auricle and the ear canal and leads to the eardrum

type of mechanoreceptor

The human earlobe (lobulus auriculae), the lower portion of the outer ear, is composed of tough areolar and adipose connective tissues, lacking the firmness and elasticity of the rest of the auricle (the external structure of the ear). In some cases the lower lobe is connected to the side of the face. Since the earlobe does not contain cartilage it has a large blood supply and may help to warm the ears. However, earlobes are not generally considered to have any major biological function. The earlobe contains many nerve endings, and for some people is an erogenous zone.

tube located inside the ear

small cavity surrounding the bones of the middle ear

tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear

Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding growth consisting of keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear and/or mastoid process. Cholesteatomas are not cancerous as the name may suggest, but can cause significant problems because of their erosive and expansile properties. This can result in the destruction of the bones of the middle ear (ossicles), as well as growth through the base of the skull into the brain. They often become infected and can result in chronically draining ears. Treatment almost always consists of surgical removal.

congenital ear condition which often presents as a thickening on the helix at the junction of the upper and middle thirds

muscle in the inner ear

permanent deformity caused by physical trauma to the ear

membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the vestibule of the inner ear

an eminence of the external ear

Auriculotherapy (also auricular therapy, ear acupuncture, and auriculoacupuncture) is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a micro system and an external organ, which reflects the entire body, represented on the auricle, the outer portion of the ear. Conditions affecting the person's physical, mental, or emotional health are assumed to be treatable by stimulating the surface of the ear exclusively. Similar mappings are used by several modalities, including the practices of reflexology and iridology. These mappings are not based on or supported by any medical or scie

Endolymph is the fluid contained in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear. The major cation in endolymph is potassium, with the values of sodium and potassium concentration in the endolymph being 0.91 mM and 154 mM, respectively. It is also called ''Scarpa's fluid'', after Antonio Scarpa.

limestone cave and former quarry in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy

Perilymph is an extracellular fluid located within the inner ear. It is found within the scala tympani and scala vestibuli of the cochlea. The ionic composition of perilymph is comparable to that of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. The major cation in perilymph is sodium, with the values of sodium and potassium concentration in the perilymph being 138 mM and 6.9 mM, respectively. It is also named Cotunnius' liquid and liquor cotunnii for Domenico Cotugno.

central part of the bony labyrinth that connects the cochlea and semicircular canals, playing a key role in balance and spatial orientation

device for cleaning ears

The saccule (Latin: sacculus) is a bed of sensory cells in the inner ear that detects linear acceleration and head tilting in the vertical plane, and converts these vibrations into electrical impulses to be interpreted by the brain. When the head accelerates vertically, the sensory cells of the saccule are moved due to a combination of inertia and gravity. In response, the neurons connected to the saccule transmit electrical impulses that represent this movement to the brain. These impulses travel along the vestibulocochlear nerve (CNVIII) to the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem.

opening from the middle ear into the inner ear

Tympanoplasty is the surgical operation performed to reconstruct the tympanic membrane and possibly other middle-ear structures after injury.

membrane in the cochlea of the inner ear

membranous labyrinth in the vestibule of ear

Nerve carrying taste sensations

specialized sudoriferous glands located subcutaneously in the external auditory canal, in the outer 1/3; simple, coiled, tubular glands made up of an inner secretory layer of cells and an outer myoepithelial layer of cells; classed as apocrine glands

The helicotrema (from [helix] meaning coil and [trēma] meaning hole), also known as Scarpa hiatus, is the part of the cochlear labyrinth where the scala tympani and the scala vestibuli meet. It is the main component of the cochlear apex. The hair cells near this area best detect low frequency sounds.

air-filled cavities in the temporal bone

part of the human ear

form of medicine used to treat or prevent ear infections

anatomic element

space through which sound is transmitted

membrane in the cochlea in the inner ear

air space in the petrous portion of the temporal bone

one of the perilymph-filled cavities in the human inner ear

abnormally protruding human ear

terminal hair arising from folliculary cartilage inside the external auditory meatus in humans

The antitragus is a feature of mammalian ear anatomy.

characteristic of numerous animals, at least one genetic disorder in humans, as well as a popular cliché in popular culture, particularly in the fantasy genre

representation of auditory sensation and perception in the nervous system

The tragicus, also called the tragus muscle or Valsalva muscle, is an intrinsic muscle of the outer ear.

conical shaped central axis in the cochlea