Hearing & Balance Center
Auditory nerve – bundle of nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses between the inner ear and the brain
Auditory Canal – also called the ear canal, it conducts sound toward the eardrum
Cochlea – part of the inner ear, contains fluid and hair-like nerve cells that convert mechanical energy from the middle ear into electrical impulses
Conductive Hearing Loss – any hearing loss caused by damage or disease in the outer or middle ears
Eustachian Tube – a tube that extends from the middle ear to the roof of the throat; it keeps the air pressure in the middle ear consistent with the air pressure in the immediate environment
Incus – the anvil shaped bone; middle bone of the ossicular chain (the three tiny bones that connect the eardrum and the inner ear)
Inner Ear – part of the ear that contains the cochlea, an organ of hearing, and the labyrinth, an organ of balance
Mastoid – the section of the skull located behind the outer ear that houses the middle and inner ears
Malleus – the hammer shaped bone; outermost of the ossicles, the three tiny bones that connect the eardrum and inner ear
Middle Ear – the air-containing cavity of the ear; lying between the eardrum and the inner ear, it includes the eardrum and the ossicles, which are the three tiny bones called malleus, incus and stapes
Ossicles – a linkage of three tiny bones - the malleus, incus and stapes, also known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup; they provide the mechanical coupling between the eardrum and the cochlea
Outer Ear – the part of the ear that captures sound; it is composed of the visible parts of the ear and the canal leading to the eardrum
Semicircular Canals – the body's balance organs, they detect the body's movement and communicate its position to the brain
Sensorineural Hearing Loss – hearing loss caused by damage or disease in the inner ear
Stapes – the stirrup-shaped ossicle that transmits sound from the incus to the cochlea; the innermost of the ossicles
Temporal Bone – the temporal bones form part of the base of the skull; among the hardest of all the bones, it includes the mastoid and protects the hearing and balance systems
Tinnitus – the sensation of a ringing, roaring, or buzzing in the ears or head; it is often associated with many forms of hearing impairment and noise exposure
Tympanic Membrane – also called the eardrum, it separates the ear canal from the middle ear, vibrating when sound waves hit it
Vertigo – a false sensation of motion or spinning that leads to dizziness and discomfort
