How is the ear?

The ear plays an essential role in the sense of hearing but also in the control of balance. External ear, middle ear and inner ear are built to transmit all our brains. But that is what exactly?
The ear is an organ that provides the hearing. It consists of several anatomical structures divided into three parts.
The outer ear

The different structures of the external ear ensure the transmission of sound waves.

The pavilion

The pinna is an elastic cartilage vascularized skin-covered, located on both sides of the head. The outer part is visible on the outside, the inner part is continuous with the external auditory canal (EAC). The pavilion is equipped with muscles, ligaments, a motor innervation and sensory innervation.

The pavilion protects the ear trauma and external aggressions, and participates in:

- Capturing sounds

- Focusing and concentration of sound waves to the external auditory meatus

- Sound amplification

- The detection of the sound source

The external auditory meatus

The external auditory canal is also called ear canal. It is an organ made up of bones and cartilage connecting the pinna and the eardrum.

The external ear canal and transmits sound waves are amplified. This channel is also involved in protecting the ear against external aggressions. Indeed, the mucosa is lined

- Glands responsible for the production of earwax

- Hairs, which constitute a barrier to the entry of insects in the ear.

The middle ear

The bodies of the middle ear are also involved in the transmission of sound waves.

The eardrum

The eardrum is a very fragile membrane that lies at the bottom of the ear canal and separates the outer ear from the middle ear. It provides capture sound vibrations to be transmitted to the ossicles of the middle ear.

Hammer, anvil and stirrup

We speak of the ossicles. These are three bones in the middle ear, attached by ligaments and fit together by synovial structures. They mainly play a role of sound amplifiers. The sound vibrations reached the level these bones causes agitation of the contents of the inner ear.

The Eustachian tube

The Eustachian tube is a bony canal that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose (throat above the soft palate).

The Eustachian tube protects against middle ear entry bacterial agents, is involved in the removal of foreign bodies in the middle ear and ensures pressure equilibrium between the external environment and the middle ear.

The inner ear

The structures of the inner ear play an important role in the perception of sound waves. The inner ear, also called labyrinth consists of the vestibular system, the cochlea and semicircular canals.

The vestibular system is involved in the control of balance.

The cochlea is in the form of fluid-filled cavity called endolymph. This body translates sound vibrations into nerve impulses to be transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve.