The Human Ear

The human ear is a complicated and delicate instrument that makes hearing possible.  The human ear is made up of three main parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.  Within each of these main portions of the ear are smaller parts that are essential to normal hearing and balance.

The outer ear is made up of the part of the ear that can be seen, anatomically named the pinna.  The external ear canal is also part of the outer ear and focuses sound into the middle and inner ear.  The ear drum, or tympanic membrane, is the final part of the outer ear and receives sound external ear canal.  The tympanic membrane vibrates when sound waves pass through this structure to the middle ear.

The middle ear is composed of an air space behind the ear drum, along with several smaller areas which serve to transfer sound from the ear drum into the inner ear.  There are three tiny bones in the middle ear which are essential to the normal hearing process.  The movement of these bones, the first of which is attached to the tympanic membrane, causes movement of the fluid in the cochlea and is vital to proper hearing.

The inner ear is the final stop for sound waves to be processed and analyzed by the human brain.  The cochlea is a spiral shaped area which is the actual organ of the body responsible for hearing.  Inside the inner ear, which is a connected series of nerves and fluid filled canals, there is also the fluid filled portion of the ear which controls sense of balance.   

Damage to any portion of the ear can affect normal hearing.  From wax buildup in the outer ear canal or a perforated eardrum, to a hardening of the attachments between the middle ear and the inner ear, there are a number of factors that can lead to hearing loss.  Damage can come from outside trauma, high noise levels or inserting a foreign object into the ear canal. It can also come from an internal malfunction of the ear itself.  Medications and congenital defects can be internal causes of hearing loss.  Early recognition and treatment of any type of damage to the structure of the ear is beneficial to retaining as much normal hearing as possible.

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