Vocabulary Definitions

vibrations in air, water, etc. that stimulate the organs of hearing

to perceive sound by the ear

the organ of hearing and equilibrium (balance)

the external part of the ear that collects sound waves

the tube through which sound travels to the ear drum

ear wax

a thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves reach it

the part of the ear containing the pinna/auricle and the EAM(external auditory meatus)/ear canal

a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the Tympanic Membrane/ Eardrum to the anvil/incus

a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the malleus/hammer to the stapes/stirrup

a tiny, U-shaped bone that passes vibrations from the incus/anvil to the cochlea; smallest bone in the human body

the three smallest bones in the body, found in the middle ear (MIS/HAS)

a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose; equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and the air outside

the part of the ear from the tympanic membrane/ear drum to the cochlea (including Ossicles)

a hearing loss that occurs in the middle or outer ear

three loops of fluid-filled tubes that are attached to the cochlea in the inner ear; help us maintain our sense of balance

Part of the ear that semicircular canals are attached to.

**Semicircular canals and vestibule have nothing to do with hearing. They control balance.**

the organ in the inner ear that collects frequency information of sounds and passes it to the auditory nerve; filled with thousands of hair cells

Tiny, hair-like structures; about 15,000 – 20,000 exist in a normal cochlea

a membrane in the wall of the cochlea (attached to stapes/stirrup) that receives vibrations from the stapes in the middle ear and transfers the vibrations to the fluid of the cochlea

a membrane-covered opening in the inner wall of the middle ear that compensates for changes in cochlear pressure (located below oval window)

a bundle of nerve fibers that carry sound information from the cochlea to the brain

The part of the ear that includes the cochlea, semicircular canals, and the auditory nerve

a hearing loss that occurs in the inner ear

when a hearing loss has both a sensorineuralcomponent and a conductive component