Parts of the Ear

Pinna

outer part of the external ear amplifies sound by funnelling it from a large area into the narrower auditory canal

auditory canal

carries sound waves to the tympanic membrane

ossicles

tiny bones that amplify and carry sound in the middle ear

tympanic membrane

also called the eardrum, it receives sound waves

oval window

receives sound waves from the ossicles

eustachian tube

air-filled tube of the middle ear that equalizes pressure between the outer and middle ear

vestibule

chamber at the base of the semicircular canals that provides information concerning static equilibrium

semicircular canals

fluid-filled structures that provide information concerning dynamic equilibrium

cochlea

coiled tube within the inner ear that receives sound waves and converts them into nerve impulses

organ of corti

primary sound receptor in the cochlea

basilar membrane

anchors the receptor hair cells in the organ of corti