01 / Location & anatomical relationships
On each side of your head, with deeper parts inside the skull.
02 / Structure & organization
The external ear leads to the tympanic membrane. The middle ear contains the malleus, incus and stapes, and communicates with the nasopharynx through the auditory tube. The inner ear contains the cochlea and vestibular apparatus.
03 / Function
Sound travels through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear.
04 / Mechanism
The outer ear collects sound. Sound vibrates the eardrum and tiny middle-ear bones, then reaches fluid in the inner ear. Special cells change the movement into nerve signals. Separate inner-ear structures help sense head movement.
Part of a bigger picture
The ear belongs in our head & face collection. Explore the nearby parts to see how this area of the body fits together.
Explore head & face →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Hearing and balance use different receptor populations within the inner ear. Their information travels through divisions of the vestibulocochlear nerve, rather than through the visible outer ear alone.
Check your understanding
Locate the ear in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.