The three parts of the ear

• The outer ear: the part that you can see on the side of the head plus the ear canal leading down to the eardrum.
• The middle ear: the eardrum and ear bones (ossicles), plus the air spaces behind the eardrum and in the mastoid cavities (vulnerable to air pressure).
• The inner ear: the area that contains the nerve endings for the organs of hearing and balance (equilibrium).