As the sense of hearing, the role of the ear in human life is very important. By recognizing the anatomy of the ear, you can understand the function of each part of the ear and understand the sound processing process in the ear.
The ear is one of the five senses that humans have. In addition to hearing sound, the ear also functions to maintain body balance so that you don't fall easily when doing various movements.
The Parts of the Ear and Their Functions
The anatomy of the ear consists of three parts that have their respective structures and roles in the hearing process and maintaining body balance. The following are the parts of the ear and their functions:
1. Outer ear
The anatomy of the outer ear consists of the auricle (pinna) and the ear canal. The auricle serves to collect sound waves from the surrounding environment and deliver them to the eardrum through the ear canal.
Meanwhile, the auricle acts as a channel that connects the outer ear to the middle ear.
2. Middle ear
The anatomy of the middle ear consists of two parts, namely the ossicles and the eustachian tube. The ossicles are a collection of bones that make up the middle ear. There are three types of bones that are part of the ossicles, namely:
- hammer bone (malleus), which is the bone that attaches to the eardrum
- base bone (incus), which is the bone in the middle of the ear ossicle chain
- stirrup (stapes), which is the bone that connects the middle ear and the inner ear
In addition to the three bones above, the middle ear is also connected to the eustachian tube which is located at the end of the throat. This channel serves to channel mucus from the middle ear and maintain air pressure in the middle ear.
3. Inner ear
In the inner ear is the cochlea, which is the organ that contains the auditory nerves. The cochlea has a snail-like shape and consists of two types of fluid, namely: endolymph and perilymph.
Around the cochlea are fine hair cells that play an important role in converting sound waves into electrical signals in the auditory nerve. In addition to hearing, the function of balance is also carried out in the inner ear.
The Importance of the Ear in the Hearing Process
Ear anatomy plays a very important role in the hearing process. The sound you hear comes from the vibrations of sound waves that enter the ear. The vibrations will propagate into the ear canal until it reaches the eardrum.
After the sound waves reach the eardrum, this section will send a series of sound vibrations to the ossicles in the middle ear. The three ear bones will increase the strength of sound vibrations and deliver them to the inner ear.
This increase in vibration strength is needed to transmit energy from sound waves to the fluid in the inner ear. Furthermore, hair cells as sensors located in the cochlear layer will convert vibrations into electrical signals that are transmitted through the auditory nerve to the brain.
After that, the brain will interpret this signal as a sound that you can hear. This is the role of ear anatomy and the process of hearing in humans.
Ear as the Body's Balance Organ
In addition to allowing you to hear, the ear also functions to maintain body balance. There are three canals located in the inner ear, just above the cochlea. Just like the cochlea, this canal is also filled with fluid and thousands of cells called hair cells.
When your head moves, the fluid in the ducts escapes and moves the hair cells. These cells will then send signals to the brain via the vestibular nerve, which is the nerve that regulates head position and the body's balance system.
These nerves are responsible for providing information to the brain about the position of your body, for example when you are lying, sitting, standing, and moving your body, such as turning or walking.
Fluid in the inner ear can continue to move. This is what makes you feel dizzy after turning your body repeatedly. However, once the fluid stops moving, the dizziness will subside and go away.
If there is a disturbance in the fluid or organ balance, a person can feel symptoms of dizziness or vertigo.
Because it has an important function, the ears need to be cleaned and maintained regularly. However, to clean the ears, avoid using cotton bud because it can cause injury to the ear and push earwax deeper into the ear canal.
You also need to protect your ears from loud noises. When you are in a noisy place, wear ear protection. Also, avoid listening to music or watching videos at a volume that is too loud when using earphones.
To maintain ear health and hearing function, you should regularly check your ears with an ENT doctor.
During an ear examination, the doctor can examine the anatomical condition of your ear and your hearing ability, and detect early if there is a disturbance in hearing function. That way, if there is a problem, the doctor can immediately provide treatment before serious damage occurs.