The components of the ear collect the sounds around us and translate them into signals for the brain, thus producing the sensation of hearing. The auricle, the visible, external fleshy part of the ear on the outside of the head, acts as a funnel to channel sound into the ear canal. Set against the eardrum are three tiny bones called the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. The bones and the eustachian tube, which drains into the back of the throat, comprise the middle ear.
Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, setting the three small bones in motion.
Separating the outer ear from the middle ear is the tympanic membrane, or eardrum. Its outside is an oval layer of skin which is taut and stiff. The hammer, anvil, and stirrup are set in the upper part of the middle ear. In the lower part of the middle ear, the eustachian tube assures the proper functioning of the three bones by equalizing the air pressure in the middle ear. The air pressure must be the same on either side of the eardrum.