Ear

**Semantic type:** Body Part, Organ, or Organ Component

**Definition:** A sense organ needed for the detection of sound and for establishing balance. The outer ear consists of the auricle, the ear canal as well as the tympanic membrane. The middle ear is made up of an air-filled cavity behind the tympanic membrane that contains the ossicles (malleus, incus and stapes). The inner ear is made up of the cochlea needed for hearing and the vestibular apparatus required for balance.

**Synonyms:** - EAR - Ear structure (body structure) - ear