The human ear, like that of other mammals, contains sense organs that serve two quite different functions: that of hearing and that of postural equilibrium and coordination of head and eye movements. Anatomically, the ear has three distinguishable parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear.

Your outer ear never stops growing throughout your lifetime. Typically, men’s ears are larger than women’s. The average ear is about 2.5 inches long, the average ear lobe is 0.74 inches long and 0.77 inches wide There are around 15,000 tiny hair cells inside our cochlear – the small, snail-shaped organ in the inner ear.

Our ears help us detect sound. Ears convert sound waves into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. While your ears pick up the sound, it is your brain that does the hard work of making sense of it all. There is much more to the ear than the part you can see on the outside of your head.

Ear canal - Tube that runs from the outer ear to the inner ear. Lined with cells that produce ear wax Ear wax - Protects the ear by trapping dirt and fighting infections Ear drum - Thin layer of tightly stretched skin.