Vibrations of air molecules moving through the air are received and translated into messages that the brain recognizes as sound by a complex organ--the ear. The ear has two important, but different, functions: hearing and sensing the body's equilibrium, or balance. The mechanisms for these processes are located within a hollow space in the skull's temporal bone.
Parts of the Ear and Hearing
The ear has three separate sections:the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Each section performs a specific function, related to either hearing or balance. The three parts of the outer ear…
