What does the outer ear do?

The ear is made up of three parts: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The most visible part of the ear is the outer ear.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the outer ear is made up of the ear we see on our heads (pinna), the ear canal and the eardrum.

The pinna gathers sounds from the environment and transfers them into the ear canal.

The sound travels to the eardrum, which according to the Mayo Clinic, vibrates when sound waves hit it.