Download The outer, middle, and inner structures of the ear collect

The outer, middle, and inner structures of the ear collect sound energy,
converting it to audible sound.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Explain how animals sense sound
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The human ear can be divided into three, fairly-distinct components: the outer ear, the middle
ear, and the inner ear.
Sound waves are collected by the pinna, travel through the auditory canal, and cause vibration of
the tympanum (ear drum).
The three ossicles of the middle ear (malleus, incus, and stapes) transfer energy from the
vibrating ear drum to the inner ear.
The incus connects the malleus to the stapes, which allows vibrations to reach the inner ear.
TERMS [ edit ]
pinna
the visible, cartilaginous part of the ear that resides outside of the head and collects sound waves
stapes
small stirrup-shaped bone of the middle ear
incus
small anvil-shaped bone in the middle ear; connects the malleus to the stapes
malleus
small hammer-shaped bone of the middle ear
tympanum
innermost part of the outer ear; the eardrum
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Reception of Sound
In order to hear a sound, the auditory
system must accomplish three basic tasks.
First, it must deliver the acoustic stimulus
to the receptors; second, it must convert
the stimulus from pressure changes into
electrical signals; and third, it must
process these electrical signals so that they
can efficiently indicate the qualities of the
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sound source, such
as frequency(pitch), amplitude (loudness, volume), and location.
The human ear can be divided into three, fairly-distinct components according to both
anatomical position and function: the outer ear, which is responsible for gathering sound
energy and funneling it to the eardrum; the middle ear, which acts as a mechanical
transformer; and the inner ear where the auditory receptors (hair cells) are located.
In mammals, sound waves are collected by the external, cartilaginous outer part of the ear
called the pinna. They then travel through the auditory canal, causing vibration of the thin
diaphragm called the tympanum, or ear drum, the innermost part of the outer ear . Interior
to the tympanum is the middle ear, which holds three small bones called the ossicles ("little
bones"), that transfer energy from the moving tympanum to the inner ear. The three ossicles
are the malleus (also known as the hammer), the incus (the anvil), and stapes (the stirrup).
The three ossicles are unique to mammals; each plays a role in hearing. The malleus attaches
at three points to the interior surface of the tympanic membrane. The incus attaches the
malleus to the stapes. In humans, the stapes is not long enough to reach the tympanum. If we
did not have the malleus and the incus, then the vibrations of the tympanum would never
reach the inner ear. These bones also function to collect force and amplify sounds. The ear
ossicles are homologous to bones in a fish mouth; the bones that support gills in fish are
thought to be adapted for use in the vertebrate ear over evolutionary time. Many animals
(frogs, reptiles, and birds, for example) use the stapes of the middle ear to transmit vibrations
to it.
Human ear
Sound travels through the outer ear to the middle ear, which is bounded on its exterior by the tympanic
membrane. The middle ear contains three bones called ossicles that transfer the sound wave to the oval
window, the exterior boundary of the inner ear.