Auditory system facts for kids

This is a left human ear

The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense for hearing. The sense organ for hearing is the ear.

Structure of the ear

Anatomy of the human ear. (The length of the auditory canal is exaggerated in this image)

Outer ear

The outer ear is the folds of cartilage surrounding the ear canal. They are called the pinna.

Middle ear

Sound waves travelling through the ear canal will hit the tympanum, or eardrum. The malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). These bones convert the waves to high pressure vibrations. They are then converted to nerve impulses in the cochlea.

Inner ear

The inner ear is made mostly of the cochlea. The cochlea is made up of three pieces, and is filled with liquid. It transforms sound waves to electric signals in neurons. The semicircular canals of the inner ear are used in equilibrioception, the sense of balance.

Images for kids

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  Auditory ossicles from a deep dissection of the tympanic cavity

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  Lateral lemniscus in red, as it connects the cochlear nucleus, superior olivary nucleus and the inferior colliculus, seen from behind