How the Ear Works
Michelle Panuncialman
Few of the Different parts of the Ear
DEFINITION:
The ear is an organ of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates.
Ear Canal:
The ear canal, also called the external acoustic meatus, is a passage comprised of bone and skin leading to the eardrum.
Pinna (auricle):
The pinna – the part of the ear that we see on each side of our heads – is made of cartilage and soft tissue so that it keeps a particular shape but is also flexible.
Temporal Bone:
The temporal bone (the skull bone containing part of the ear canal, the middle ear, and the inner ear) can be fractured, usually by a blow to the head. A temporal bone fracture may cause hearing loss, bruising behind the ear, and bleeding from the ear.
Malleus:
The malleus (or hammer) is a hammer-shaped small bone of the middle ear which connects with the incus and is attached to the inner surface of the eardrum.