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Lesson 1 The Human Ear Structure and Function Lesson

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fitrianiW. Alani
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28 views

Lesson 1 The Human Ear Structure and Function Lesson

Uploaded by

fitrianiW. Alani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Structure &

Function of the
Human Ear
The Human Ear – The Outer
Outer Ear Ear
• The visible part of the ear is called the Pinna or the Auricle. The pinna is made of cartilage.

• The outer ear is concerned with the transmission of sound.

• The outer ear consists of the Pinna, the ear canal and the outer layer of the eardrum, also called
the Tympanic membrane.

• The ear canal is filled with air and is about 2.5cm long.

• The skin surrounding the ear canal contains glands that secrete ear wax.

• Ear wax is part of the ears protection mechanism.


The Human Ear – The Middle
Middle Ear Ear
• The middle ear is a small air filled space connecting the outer and inner ear.
• The Primary function of the middle ear is to conduct sound waves through the tympanic
membrane to the cochlear via the ear bones.
• The 3 smallest bones in the body are in the middle ear, the are called the hammer (malleus), anvil
(incus) and stirrup (stapes).
• These bones are collectively known as the ossicles. Sound waves cause them to vibrate.
• The eustachian tube is also inside the middle ear. The eustachian tube controls the pressure
within the ear.

Hammer
Anvil

Stirrup
The Human Ear – The Inner
Ear
Inner Ear
• The Inner Ear has 2 main functions, to convert sound waves into electrical signals for
the brain and to maintain balance by detecting position and motion.
• The inner ear has 3 main parts, the cochlear, the semi-circular canals and the
vestibule.
• The cochlear is filled with liquid and acts like a microphone, converting sound waves
to nerve impulses that travel to your brain via the auditory nerve.
• The vestibule and semi-circular canals both help you to balance.

Semi circular canals –


aid with balance

Cochlear – aid
with hearing
Outer Ear Middle Ear Inner Ear

Cartilage Cochlear
Pinna Hammer
Semi-circular
(Malleus)
canals
Anvil
Tympanic (Incus)
Membrane

Auditory
Nerve

Vestibule

Ear Canal Ear Drum

Stirrup
Wax Glands (Stapes)

Eustachian
Tube
How Do We
Hear?
Sound waves are Vibrations of the ear
funnelled into our The sound waves drum cause the 3 small
ear canal by the make our ear bones in the ear,
pinna. drum vibrate. collectively called the
ossicles, to move.

The hairs in the


cochlear are
These waves As the last bone in the
tuned to respond
stimulate chain, the stapes,
to differences in
microscopic hairs vibrates this causes
sound frequency
inside the wave like movements to
and pitch.
cochlear. be generated in the fluid
inside the cochlear.
When stimulated
these hair cells
generate nerve
impulses that are
transferred to the The nerve impulses The auditory
auditory nerve. travel along the cortex converts
auditory nerve into the nerve
the hearing centre impulses into the
of the brain, called sound that we
the auditory cortex. hear.
Video
•
Resources
Cognito video Physics #73 from

• TedED Science of Hearing

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