inner ear

American  

noun

1. internal ear.

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inner ear British  

noun

1. another name for internal ear labyrinth

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inner ear Scientific  

/ ĭn′ər /

1. The innermost part of the ear in many vertebrate animals, consisting of the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the vestibule. Sound vibrations are transmitted from the cochlea of the inner ear to the brain by the auditory nerve. The semicircular canals and the vestibule are the body's organs of balance.

2. See more at ear

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inner ear Cultural  

1. The part of the ear, located deep within the skull, where sound vibrations are converted to electrical signals and sent to the brain via the auditory nerve to produce the sensation of hearing. Organs related to balance are also located in the inner ear.

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Etymology

Origin of inner ear

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

This technique records electrical activity between the inner ear and the brain using small electrodes placed on the animals while short bursts of sound are played through a small loudspeaker.

From Science Daily

"We were able to compare its most preserved inner ear area with other Gogo lungfish. This is an extra data point in the amazing collection of lungfish and early vertebrate species," she says.

From Science Daily

Isaac has sensorineural hearing loss - caused by damage to the hair cells inside the inner ear, or damage to the hearing nerve, or both.

From BBC

In most saltwater species, vibrations reach the inner ear only weakly, which limits hearing to low frequencies below about 200 Hertz.

From Science Daily

In the inner ear, mutations in CPD disrupted this process, triggering oxidative stress and the death of delicate sensory hair cells that detect sound vibrations.

From Science Daily