Illustration of a section through a human ear, the organ of hearing and balance. At left is the pinna, the visible part of the ear. The ear canal leads from the pinna to the eardrum (tympanic membrane, purple, centre), which separates the outer and middle ear. The eardrum transmits sounds, as vibrations, from the air to the bones (ossicles, white), of the middle ear. These bones, from left to right, are the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). The ossicles join to the inner ear, which consists of fluid-filled passages called the labyrinth (pink). This includes the cochlea (spiral), which translates the vibrations into electrical impulses that are carried to the brain by nerves (yellow), and the semicircular canals (loops), which are responsible for balance.