After sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and make their way into the middle ear. It’s main job is to take those sound waves and turn them into vibrations that travel into the inner ear. The middle ear contains the eardrum, which is a thin piece of skin stretched tight, like the surface of a drum in a band or orchestra.
The eardrum separates the outer ear from the middle ear and the ossicles or the auditory ossicles (ah-si-kulz), which are the three tiniest and most delicate bones in the human body. They form a chain around the middle ear and extend to an oval window of the inner ear. Their main function is to amplify sound. The ossicles include: the malleus (which is attached to the eardrum and means hammer in Latin), the incus (which is attached to the malleus and means anvil in Latin) and the stapes, pronounced: ‘stay-peez’ (which is the smallest bone in the body, attached to the incus and means the stirrup in Latin). When sound waves reach the eardrum, it causes it to vibrate which, in turn, moves the ossicles, which amplify the sound to help it travel into the inner ear.
Changing altitude changes the pressure in your ear. The middle ear is connected to the back of your nose and throat by Eustachian Tubes (yoo-stay-she-an). They act as pressure valves that open to keep the ear pressure the same on both ears. Whenever you hear your ear pop, it is a sign that you Eustachian Tubes are at work. They also open when you yawn or swallow (which is why yawning helps in the plane when your ears hurt).
The eardrum separates the outer ear from the middle ear and the ossicles or the auditory ossicles (ah-si-kulz), which are the three tiniest and most delicate bones in the human body. They form a chain around the middle ear and extend to an oval window of the inner ear. Their main function is to amplify sound. The ossicles include: the malleus (which is attached to the eardrum and means hammer in Latin), the incus (which is attached to the malleus and means anvil in Latin) and the stapes, pronounced: ‘stay-peez’ (which is the smallest bone in the body, attached to the incus and means the stirrup in Latin). When sound waves reach the eardrum, it causes it to vibrate which, in turn, moves the ossicles, which amplify the sound to help it travel into the inner ear.
Changing altitude changes the pressure in your ear. The middle ear is connected to the back of your nose and throat by Eustachian Tubes (yoo-stay-she-an). They act as pressure valves that open to keep the ear pressure the same on both ears. Whenever you hear your ear pop, it is a sign that you Eustachian Tubes are at work. They also open when you yawn or swallow (which is why yawning helps in the plane when your ears hurt).