External ear

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External ear
External and middle ear, opened from the front. Right side.
Latin	'
Gray's	subject #229 1033
System	{{{System}}}
MeSH	A09.246.272
The auricula. Lateral surface.

The outer ear is the external portion of the ear.

[edit] Pinna, or auricle

The visible part is called the pinna and functions to collect and focus sound waves. Many mammals can move the pinna (with the auriculares muscles) in order to focus their hearing in a certain direction in much the same way that they can turn their eyes. Humans, unlike most other mammals, do not have this ability....

[edit] Ear canal, or external auditory meatus

From the pinna the sound pressure waves move into the ear canal, a simple tube running to the middle ear. This tube amplifies frequencies in the range 3 kHz to 12 kHz.

v·d·e Sensory system: Auditory and Vestibular systems
Outer ear	pinna (Helix, Antihelix, Tragus, Antitragus, Earlobe) • Ear canal
Middle ear	Eardrum (Umbo) • Ossicles (Malleus, Incus & Stapes) • Stapedius • Tensor tympani • Eustachian tube (Torus tubarius)
Inner ear/Labyrinth	Bony labyrinth (Vestibule) • Membranous labyrinth Oval window • Helicotrema • Round window Cochlea: Spiral ganglion • Modiolus • Cochlear duct/scala media (Endolymph, Stria vascularis, Spiral ligament, Organ of Corti) • Scala vestibuli and Scala tympani (Perilymph) Reissner's/vestibular membrane • Basilar membrane • Tectorial membrane Organ of Corti: Hair cells • Stereocilia • Sulcus spiralis (externus, internus) • Limbus spiralis
Vestibular system	Static/translations: Utricle (Macula) - Saccule (Macula, Endolymphatic sac, Endolymphatic duct) - Kinocilium - Otolith Kinetic/rotations: Semicircular canals (Superior, Posterior, Horizontal) • Cupula • Ampullae (Crista ampullaris)
Brain (auditory)	Cochlear nerve VIII → Cochlear nuclei → Superior olivary nuclei → Lateral lemniscus → Inferior colliculi → Medial geniculate nuclei → Primary auditory cortex

This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Outer ear. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.