Inner ear
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| Inner ear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The cochlea and vestibule, viewed from above. | |
| Template:Inner ear map/inline | |
| Latin | auris interna |
| Gray's | subject #232 1047 |
| Artery | labyrinthine artery |
| MeSH | Inner+ear |
The inner ear is the bony labyrinth, a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:
- the organ of hearing, or cochlea
- and the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance that consists of three semicircular canals and the vestibule.
Inner ears are found in all vertebrates, with substantial variations in the form and function of their sensory organs. Each animal has two inner ears, one on each side of its head.
Ear overview, in context
In mammals, the outer ear focuses and directs sound waves into the middle ear. In the middle ear, the energy of these pressure waves[1] is translated into mechanical vibrations of the middle ear’s bone structure. The cochlea of the inner ear propagates these mechanical signals as waves in fluid and membranes, and finally transduces them to nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain.
The vestibular system of the inner ear is responsible for the sensations of balance and motion. It uses the same kinds of fluids and detection cells (hair cells) as the cochlea uses, and sends information to the brain about the attitude, rotation, and linear motion of the head. The type of motion or attitude detected by a hair cell depends on its associated mechanical structures, such as the curved tube of a semicircular canal or the calcium carbonate crystals (otolith) of the saccule and utricle.
The inner ear is innervated by the eighth cranial nerve in all vertebrates.
Non-humans
Birds have an auditory system similar to that of mammals, including an outer ear, middle ear, and cochlea, though their middle ear has only one bone compared to the three bones in mammals. Reptiles, amphibians, and fish do not have cochleas but hear with simpler auditory organs or vestibular organs, which generally detect lower-frequency sounds than the cochlea.
References
See also
External links
no:Indre ørefi:Sisäkorva sv:Inneröra te:లోపలి చెవి
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
