The outer ear includes the visible part of the ear (the pinna) and the ear canal. Sound is collected by the pinna and directed down the canal towards the eardrum.

The middle ear is an air-filled space that includes the eardrum and ossicles – malleus, incus, and stapes. The ossicles are 3 small bones that are better known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. When sound strikes the eardrum it causes a vibration to travel down the ossicular chain.

The portion of the inner ear that is responsible for hearing is the cochlea. This is a snail-shaped structure that contains fluid, tiny hair cells, and nerve fibers. The stapes (or stirrup) is connected to the cochlea so that the vibration of the chain sets the fluid in cochlea in motion. This wave of motion causes the hair cells to bend and move. The hair cells trigger electrical impulses along the auditory nerve to the brain where the stimuli are perceived as sound.