title: Hearing and balance. Part 1--the outer and middle ear.
abstract: This article is the first in a four-part series on hearing and balance, continuing our exploration of the senses. It discusses the outer and middle chambers of the ear, whose primary function is to transmit sound to the auditory receptors in the inner ear (Allan, 2005).
authors.affiliation: University of Hertfordshire.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004431:Ear, External / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D013016:Sound