How does inner ear work

The ear canal, also called the external auditory meatus, is the other important outer ear landmark. The ear canal is lined with only a few layers of skin and fine hair, and is a highly vascularized area. This means that there is an abundant flow of blood to the ear canal.

Wax cerumen accumulates in the ear canal and serves as a protective barrier to the skin from bacteria and moisture. Ear wax is normal, unless it completely blocks the ear canal. Sounds are everywhere, and you have two cool parts on your body that let you hear them all: your ears!

The ear is made up of three different sections that work together to collect sounds and send them to the brain: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.

The outer ear is made up of the pinna — also called the auricle say: OR-ih-kul — and the ear canal. The pinna is the part of the ear you see on the side of your head. It's made of tough cartilage covered by skin. Its main job is to gather sounds and funnel them to the ear canal, which is the pathway that leads to the middle ear. Glands in the skin lining the ear canal make earwax , which protects the canal by cleaning out dirt and helping to prevent infections. The middle ear is an air-filled cavity that turns sound waves into vibrations and delivers them to the inner ear.

The middle ear is separated from the outer ear by the eardrum , or tympanic say: tim-PAN-ik membrane, a thin piece of tissue stretched tight across the ear canal. Sounds hit the eardrum, making it move. This movement leads to vibrations of three very small bones in the middle ear known as the ossicles say: AH-sih-kuls. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

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A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Your Inner Ear Explained. Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. The inner ear is also called the internal ear, auris interna, and the labyrinth of the ear.

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