Hearing

Outer ear

The outer ear consists of the pinna and ear canal. It is responsible for capturing sound waves/vibrations from the air. Vibrations are funneled down the ear canal to the eardrum.

Middle ear

The eardrum separates the outer and middle ear. The middle ear is an air-filled space with three bones (malleus, incus, stapes) that transmit sound vibrations from the ear drum to the inner ear.

Inner ear

The inner ear contains the hearing and balance organs. The hearing portion, the cochlea, changes sound into neurological signals. Those signals are then sent along the auditory (hearing) nerve, which takes sound to the brain.