Editing Ear (section)

{{short description|Organ of hearing and balance}}
{{Other uses}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
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{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Ear
| Latin       = auris
| Greek       =
| Image       = Human right ear (cropped).jpg
| Caption     = The outer portion of the human ear<br />[[File:En-uk-ear.ogg|thumb|{{center|"Ear" pronounced (''[[Received Pronunciation]]'')}}]]
| Width       = 250
| Image2      =
| Caption2    =
| Precursor   =
| System      = [[Auditory system]]
| Artery      =
| Vein        =
| Nerve       =
| Lymph       =
}}
{{Ear series}}
[[File:Journey of Sound to the Brain.ogg|thumb|How sounds make their way from the source to the human brain|350x350px]]

In [[vertebrate]]s, an '''ear''' is the [[organ (anatomy)|organ]] that enables [[hearing]] and (in [[mammal]]s) [[Sense of balance|body balance]] using the [[vestibular system]]. In humans, the ear is described as having three parts:  the [[outer ear]], the [[middle ear]] and the [[inner ear]]. The outer ear consists of the [[Auricle (anatomy)|auricle]] and the [[ear canal]]. Since the outer ear is the only visible portion of the ear, the word "ear" often refers to the external part (auricle) alone.<ref name="Oxford">{{cite web|title=Ear|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ear|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718030833/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ear|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2012|website=Oxford Dictionary|access-date=25 February 2016}}</ref> The middle ear includes the [[tympanic cavity]] and the three [[ossicle]]s. The inner ear sits in the [[bony labyrinth]], and contains structures which are key to several senses: the [[semicircular canal]]s, which enable balance and eye tracking when moving; the [[utricle (ear)|utricle]] and [[saccule]], which enable balance when stationary; and the [[cochlea]], which enables hearing. The ear canal is cleaned via [[earwax]], which naturally migrates to the auricle. 

The ear develops from the first [[pharyngeal pouch (embryology)|pharyngeal pouch]] and six small swellings that develop in the early [[embryo]] called [[otic placode]]s, which are derived from the [[ectoderm]].

The ear may be affected by disease, including infection and traumatic damage. Diseases of the ear may lead to [[hearing loss]], [[tinnitus]] and [[balance disorders]] such as [[vertigo]], although many of these conditions may also be affected by damage to the brain or neural pathways leading from the ear.

The ear has been adorned by [[earring]]s and other jewelry in numerous cultures for thousands of years, and has been subjected to surgical and cosmetic alterations.