Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
middle ear
References
Images & Videos
Diagram of the human ear showing how sound waves travel through the outer ear and auditory canal to the tympanic membrane, causing vibrations in the ossicles, and then through the middle and inner ear, including the cochlea. Color-coded sections highlight the outer ear in orange, middle ear in pink, and inner ear in blue. structures of the middle ear Cross-section diagram of the human ear showing the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, with labeled parts including the auricle, auditory canal, tympanic membrane, ossicles, cochlea, semicircular canals, and nerves.
Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds
Britannica AI Icon

middle ear

anatomy
Also known as: tympanic cavity
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  EncyclopƦdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Diagram of the human ear showing how sound waves travel through the outer ear and auditory canal to the tympanic membrane, causing vibrations in the ossicles, and then through the middle and inner ear, including the cochlea. Color-coded sections highlight the outer ear in orange, middle ear in pink, and inner ear in blue.
human ear canal In human hearing, sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through the external auditory canal. When the waves reach the tympanic membrane, they cause the membrane and the attached chain of auditory ossicles to vibrate. The motion of the stapes against the oval window sets up waves in the fluids of the cochlea, causing the basilar membrane to vibrate. This stimulates the sensory cells of the organ of Corti, atop the basilar membrane, to send nerve impulses to the brain.

The middle ear is a small, air-filled cavity separated from the outer ear by the tympanic membrane (eardrum). It transmits sound waves to the inner ear through a chain of three tiny bones: the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). This cavity is connected to the throat by the eustachian tube, which equalizes air pressure on both sides of the eardrum. The middle ear's primary function is to convert sound vibrations into movements of the inner ear's fluid, initiating the process of hearing.12345

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
6 Britannica Sources
  1. eustachian tube
  2. human ear - Auditory ossicles
  3. ear disease - Secretory otitis media
  4. middle ear
  5. human ear - Function of the muscles of the middle ear
  6. ear bone

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.