It is bordered by the antihelix, the tragus, and the antitragus. The concha is the smaller cavity that funnels sound waves into the ear canal. It is more sharply defined, and it partially marks the border of the concha. The smaller, lower branch of the antihelix ‘Y’ is called the inferior crus. It is shallow and generally not well-defined. The superior crus is the larger, upper branch of the ‘Y’ part of the antihelix. It looks somewhat Y-shaped, and the two forks at the top of the ‘Y’ are called the superior crus and the inferior crus. It is more rigid and provides more strength to the outer ear. The antihelix is the smaller of the two loops. The superior crus is the larger of the two loops, and it’s the very flexible outer curve of the ear. The outer, external ear can be loosely described as two cartilaginous loops, a small one nestled inside a larger one. This sound collection is the primary purpose of all of the parts of the external ear auricle anatomy. Its dish-like shape is also essential for collecting sound waves. It is also sometimes referred to as the auricle or the pinna.Īlthough the outer ear is the least important part of the ear’s hearing function, it provides the necessary structure and protection. The outer ear auricle or external ear is composed of all of the parts of the ear outside the skull. In this section, we describe the anatomy of the ear in simple terms. Don’t worry, though-each part has a purpose that is easy to understand. The ear is an unusually complex organ in human anatomy. This article describes the anatomy of the ear in-depth and discusses ways to discover and correct potential hearing disorders. Most people also consider the ear just one part of the human body, but it’s a complex organ composed of many smaller, finely-tuned parts. Everyone knows that the ear is the organ used for hearing, but not many people are aware that it’s also necessary for balance. The human ear is the highly advanced result of millions of years of evolutionary progress.

Misshapen ear