1. Life Science Chris Petriccione
The Ear
Life Science
Chris Petriccione

2. Questions How do we hear things and understand what is being said?
Why are our ears on the side of our head, when rabbits have them on top of their heads?
What causes hearing loss?

3. The Ear
There are three main parts:
Outer Ear
Middle Ear
Inner Ear

4. Outer Ear
The outer ear collects sound and sends it down ear canal to eardrum

5. Middle Ear
Sound vibrations travels from ear drum to the bones of the middle ear.
Sound hits the hammer, which passes to the anvil, and finally to the stirrup, where the vibration is passed to the cochlea.

6. Question
Why use bone as a transmitter of sound vibrations?

7. Inner Ear
The cochlea is a fluid filled spiral, which is where the vibrations travel to the organ of Corti
The organ of Corti is a strip of tiny hairs (about 20,000) which are nerve endings that detect vibrations and send it to the brain.

8. Sound
Travels in waves

9. Question
Why are rabbits ears located on top of their head, whereas our ears are on the side of our head?

10. Hearing Loss
What causes hearing loss?

11. Balance
What does all of this have to do with balance?