The Interactive Ear The ear is the organ which controls hearing and balance, allowing us to understand our surroundings and position ourselves correctly. It is split into three parts: outer, middle and inner. This guide will take you through each part of the ear in turn, answering those essential questions – what are the parts, what do they do, and how?

View the Middle Ear

View the Inner Ear

Pinna

Helix

Antihelix

Concha

Antitragus

Lobe

Cartilage

Temporal Muscle (Temporalis)

Temporal Bone

Semicircular Canals

Ganglia of the Vestibular Nerve

Facial Nerve

Ear Canal (External acoustic meatus)

Mastoid Process

Facial Nerve

Internal Jugular Vein

Styloid Process

Internal Cartoid Artery

Eardrum (Tympanic Membrane)

Auditory Tube (Eustachian Tube)

Outer Ear – Welcome to the Interactive Ear! Hover over the circles to learn how each part of the ear works. This diagram is of the outer ear.

This is the part of the ear that people can see, and funnels sound into your ear canal.

The rim of the pinna.

A curved panel of cartridge. Part of the pinna.

Bowl-shaped part of pinna.

The small, hard bump above your ear lobe. Part of the pinna.

The earlobe contains a large blood supply, helping to keep the ears warm. They are part of the pinna.

Flexible connective tissue. Part of the pinna.

This muscle can be felt in your temples, expanding and contracting when you chew.

This large, flat bone houses your hearing organs, keeping them supported inside your skull.

These interconnected tubes lie at different angles and are responsible for balance.

The vestibular nerve is responsible for transmitting sensory information to the brain.

This nerve passes through from your brain to the rest of your face, and controls facial expressions.

This transfers sound into your ear. Earwax is created here to protect your ears from bacteria.

This bone sits under your jaw and connects muscles from your throat, neck and back.

This nerve passes through from your brain to the rest of your face, and controls facial expressions.

These veins carry blood past the ear and down towards the neck.

This is a small, pointy bone connected to the tongue and larynx.

This artery passes the ear on its way to supply blood to the brain.

The eardrum creates a barrier between the outer and middle ear, and transfers sound vibrations from the air into the middle ear.

This tube connects the middle ear to the nose, and is responsible for equalising pressure between the middle ear and the atmosphere.