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
AI overview
Your ear is the organ that allows you to hear sounds and, in mammals like humans, helps you maintain your balance through a system called the vestibular system. It has three main sections—the outer ear (the visible part and ear canal), the middle ear (containing tiny bones), and the inner ear (which houses structures for hearing and balance)—each playing an important role in these vital functions.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Ear
- Anatomy.Latin
- auris
- Anatomy.Greek
- οὖς (oûs)
- Anatomy.Image
- Human right ear (cropped).jpg
- Anatomy.Caption
- The outer portion of the human ear
- Anatomy.Width
- 250
- Anatomy.System
- Auditory system
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Outer ear
- Middle ear
- Inner ear
- Blood supply
- Functions
- Hearing
- Balance
- Development
- Inner ear
- Middle ear
- Outer ear
- Growth
- Uniqueness
- Clinical significance
- Hearing loss
- Congenital abnormalities
- Vertigo
- Injury
- Tinnitus
- Hyperacusis
- Society and culture
- Other animals
- Invertebrates
- See also
- References
- External links
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 stationary; and the cochlea, which enables hearing. The ear canal is cleaned via earwax, which naturally migrates to the auricle.
The ear develops from the first pharyngeal pouch and six small swellings that develop in the early embryo called otic placodes, which are derived from the ectoderm.