Kids Corner

OUTER EAR

We have an ear on each side of our head. Noise is collected by the Outer Ear or pinna (the flaps which stick out from the sides of your head and come in all shapes and sizes!)

EAR CANAL

The sound waves travel along the Ear Canal to the ear drum. Did you know that the ear canal is lined by 4000 wax glands which secrete ear wax or cerumen to trap dirt, dust or bugs and protect the ear drum?

EAR DRUM

When the sound waves hit the Ear Drum they make it vibrate. The ear drum is stretched across the entrance to the Middle Ear and provides an airtight seal.

EUSTACHIAN TUBE

The Eustachian Tube is a canal that connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx, which consists of the upper throat and the back of the nasal cavity. It controls the pressure within the middle ear, making it equal with the air pressure outside the body.

THE COCHLEA

The Cochlea (snail shell) is about the size of a pea. The mechanical vibrations in the fluid of the cochlea bend the thousands of tiny delicate Hair Cells, which change the vibrations into electric nerve impulses.

HEARING NERVE

The Hearing Nerve then carries these electric impulses to the brain.

BALANCE CANALS

The Hammer, Anvil and Stirrup are the smallest bones in your body. Vibrations by the ear drum cause the 3 bones to vibrate in turn. As the last (the stirrup) vibrates, it causes vibrations in the fluid of the Cochlea.

TINY BONES

We have an ear on each side of our head. Noise is collected by the Outer Ear or pinna (the flaps which stick out from the sides of your head and come in all shapes and sizes!)