Ear ‒ Section

Hearing, or audition, is the transduction of sound waves into a neural signal, made possible by the structures of the **ear**. The large, fleshy structure on the side of the head is known as the auricle. Some sources may refer to it as the pinna, although that term is more applicable to structures that can move, such as the external ear of a cat. The C-shaped curves of the auricle direct sound waves toward the auditory canal. This canal enters the skull through the external auditory meatus of the temporal bone. At the end of the auditory canal is the tympanic membrane, or ear drum, which vibrates in response to sound waves. Together, the auricle, ear canal and tympanic membrane make up the external ear. is an air-filled chamber containing three small bones called the ossicles: the malleus, incus and stapes, whose names are Latin and translate to hammer, anvil and stirrup, respectively. *LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS CC licensed content, Shared previously, Stephanie Fretham, Sensory Perception, Authored by: OpenStax College. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/s3XqfSLV@6/Sensory-Perception* ## Keywords ear otic structure of the ear ossicles vestibule semicircular canals cells bony labyrinth membranous equilibrium auditory sense hearing