Know the Parts of the Ear and Each Function

Compared to other organs, attention is often not focused on ear health. In fact, if the ear is damaged, in addition to hearing function, the balance can be disturbed.

The anatomical composition of the ear is divided into three parts, namely the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Each consists of different parts that work together to smooth the overall function of the ear.
Ear section and function

The outer ear is the part that we can see clearly. Meanwhile, the middle and inner ear, located inside the ear hole. The following is an explanation of the parts of the ear according to their location.
1. outer ear

The outer ear, consists of two parts, namely the auricle and the auditory canal.
• earlobe

The auricle is the part that we can see clearly and consists of cartilage and skin.

Earlobe is used to direct sound waves from outside the ear, so they enter the external auditory canal. From this channel, sound waves are then transmitted to the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane.
• auditory canal

The ear canal, or ear canal, is the part that connects the outer ear to the middle ear. This canal is about 2.5 cm long and its position is located from the hole in the outer ear to the tympanum.
2. middle ear

The middle ear outline consists of two parts, namely:
• Oscles

The oscles are a group of bones that make up the middle ear, which consists of:

- Maleus or hammerhead

- Incus or track

- Stirrups or stirrups

The incoming sound waves vibrate in the eardrum.

The eardrum vibrations will then be channeled to oscillations that amplify the sound and transmit it to the membrane located between the middle ear and the inner ear.
• Eustasia tube

In the middle ear, there is also an eustasia tube. The eustasia tube is a narrow tube-shaped part that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and to the throat or nasopharynx.

The function of the tubal eustasia is to drain air to the middle ear and carry mucus from the middle ear to the nasopharynx. When you swallow a movement, the eustasia tube opens and air enters the middle ear.

This allows the atmospheric pressure on both sides of the eardrum to remain balanced.
3. inner ear

The inner ear has two main parts, namely:

• Cochlea

The cochlea is the inner ear shaped like a snail shell. The function of the cochlea is to modify the vibrations of the sound sent by the middle ear into nerve signals that will be transmitted to the brain.
• semicircular canal

The semicircular canal is the part of the ear that helps maintain body balance. This channel contains fine hair and fluid.

When your head moves, the fluid in the channel will move, moving fine hair. This hair movement will then be sent as an information signal to the vestibular nerve in the brain.

After receiving this information, the brain then interprets this signal and sends information to the muscles to adjust so that the body can maintain a balanced position.

When you make a circular motion, stop suddenly, you will always feel dizzy.

Indeed, fluid in the semicircular canal always moves, so it always sends signals to the brain that indicate that the body is moving, even if it really stops. When the fluid does not move, the dizziness that you feel will disappear.

The hearing process occurs in the ear
To be able to hear, the ear goes through a rather complicated process. The sequence of hearing processes follows from beginning to end:

• First, the earlobe will catch the sound waves that surround us and then send it to the ear canal.
• Sound waves will then vibrate the eardrum.
• The eardrum vibrations will then cause oscillation movements and send it to the cochlea located in the inner ear.
• When these vibrations reach the cochlea, the liquid they contain will move like a wave.
• The movement of fluid then stimulates the cochlear smooth hair reaction.
• Hair cells will react to waves, depending on the frequency.
• High voice will stimulate the cochlea hair cells down, while weak voice will stimulate the cochlea hair cells up.
• When hair cells respond to wave stimulation, they receive nerve impulses at the same time from the auditory nerve or auditory nerve.
• The drive will travel through the brain stem and then to the center of the brain to be converted into the sounds we hear.

This entire hearing process only takes place in seconds or less.
How to care for the ears properly

Seeing the function of the ear that is so important, you must always maintain his health. Here are some ways to maintain the health of your ears.

Do not insert cotton and fingers too far into the ear hole. The reason is because it can scratch the ear canal, push the ear wax deeper and even damage the eardrum.

Protect your hearing by lowering the volume while watching TV, listening to music with headphones, or playing games. Hearing loss will occur slowly. You might not realize it.

Avoid noise. The noise level is measured in decibels (dB). The higher the number, the higher the noise level. Any sound above 85 dB can cause hearing loss, especially if you are exposed for a long time. Sound types with sound levels above 85 dB, including: airplane takeoffs, motorbikes, full volume music via cellphones.

Once you know the ear parts and their functions, you should better understand the importance of this organ. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor if you have difficulty cleaning it or if you feel hearing has begun to diminish.

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