Which part of the ear is used as a balance mechanism for the body?

There is a section of the inner ear called the semi-circular canals which are a major contributor towards our balance system. They are filled with a special fluid that 'swirls' around in response to movement, activating some very specialist nerve receptor cells which communicate with our brain to tell us how we are moving. The other parts of our body involved in balance are our eyes (which tell us where we are in relation to the horizon) and our feet (which tell us which direction our body is leaning in).

How do we hear sound?

The outer ear is the organ outside the head. Its intricate shape collects sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal and then onto the eardrum, which separates the outer and inner ear. The membrane of the eardrum is taut, like a drum skin, and vibrates in response to the sound waves.

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These vibrations then pass on to three tiny bones in the middle ear known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup. These bones are responsible for transmitting sound waves from the eardrum to the inner ear. The stirrup vibrates against a membrane, which sends pressure waves through the cochlea in the inner ear.

Inside the cochlea – which is the size of a pea and shaped like a snail shell – thousands of hair-like cells, linked to nerve fibres, change the sound waves into electrical signals, which are passed on to the brain.