How does the ear work?

The ear picks up sound waves and transforms them into electrical signals which travel along nerves to the brain. The signals are interpreted by the brain and connected to other impressions and experiences – the sound is then perceived as loud or quiet, speech, music or a message such as “the phone is ringing.”

The anatomical diagram shows the three parts of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.

The ear has three parts:

  • Outer ear (visible part, called the "auricle" or "pinna," and the external auditory canal)
  • Middle ear (the eardrum and the tympanic cavity containing tiny ear bones)
  • Inner ear (cochlea and the organ of balance, called the "vestibular system")

Sound waves travel through the outer ear to the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are passed on to the inner ear through the tiny bones in the middle ear (the ossicles). The actual organ of hearing, known as the cochlea, is found in the inner ear. The organ of balance with its three canals is also found in the inner ear. That's why the ear is important for our sense of balance, too.

What happens in each of the three sections of the ear?

The outer ear is made up of skin and cartilage. Like a satellite dish, it captures sound waves and passes them on to the outer ear canal. This passageway is kept open – by cartilage at first, and then by bone further along the canal – so that the sound waves can easily reach the eardrum.

The middle ear is an air-filled space that's also known as the tympanic cavity. It is connected to the upper throat by the Eustachian tube. Air moves in and out to balance out different levels of pressure in the outside environment. But germs can also enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube from the upper throat.

The ear bones are important for hearing. They are called the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). The malleus is attached to the eardrum, picking up its vibrations and passing them on to the inner ear through the incus and the stapes.

This transfer through the bones makes the sound waves louder. Once they reach the inner ear, they are picked up by the snail-shaped cochlea. The cochlea is filled with fluid and lined with very fine hairs (hair cells). These turn the vibrations into nerve signals, which are then passed on to the brain.

Brandes R, Lang F, Schmidt R. Physiologie des Menschen: mit Pathophysiologie. Berlin: Springer; 2019.

Menche N. Biologie Anatomie Physiologie. Munich: Urban und Fischer; 2023.

Pschyrembel online. 2026.

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How does the ear work?

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Updated on June 23, 2026

Next planned update: 2029

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Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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