How does the human ear work?
Video - How do humans hear?
In this video, learn about the human ear and how it works.
Key words about the human ear and hearing
Outer ear - Part of the ear you can see. Shaped like a funnel to collect sound waves and send them to the inner ear. Also called the pinna
Ear canal - Tube that runs from the outer ear to the inner ear. Lined with cells that produce ear wax
Ear wax - Protects the ear by trapping dirt and fighting infections
Ear drum - Thin layer of tightly stretched skin. It vibrates when sound waves hit it
Hammer or Malleus - One of the three tiny bones in the ear. It moves when the ear drum vibrates
Anvil or Incus - The second tiny bone in the ear. The anvil is moved by the hammer
Stirrup or Stapes - The third tiny bone in the ear. It is moved by the anvil
Cochlea - Spiral tube. When the stirrup moves, fluid inside the cochlea moves. Hearing receptors turn the movement into signals
Auditory nerve - Carries messages from the cochlea to the brain. The brain makes sense of these signals as sounds
A labelled ear
Click on the labelled parts of the human ear to learn about what they do.
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