external auditory canal

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Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit plugging his ears with his fingers. An orange polka dot pattern is behind his head.

human ear canal

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

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Human ear closeup

Why Do We Have Earwax?

Nuthatch. nuthatch and creeper. bird. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) a small songbird in mid-winter. Near Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, Canada.

How Do Birds Hear?

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Attack on Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor infographic. World War II. Hawaii. United States. Japan. SPOTLIGHT VERSION

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In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.

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Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)

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Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment)

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external auditory canal: Media

anatomy

Videos

Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit plugging his ears with his fingers. An orange polka dot pattern is behind his head.

Why do we have earwax?

Resist the urge to grab a cotton swab.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

The ear is the organ of hearing; it enables the perception of sound.

Video: Created and produced by QA International. © QA International, 2010. All rights reserved. www.qa-international.com

Images

ear structures

ear structures

The structures of the outer, middle, and inner ear.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

human ear canal

human ear canal

In human hearing, sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through the external...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Interactives

The Human Body

The Human Body

Experience the major systems of the human body.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: