Chapter 1 : Anatomy and ultrastructure of the human ear

In accordance with longstanding convention, the adult ear is here described in terms of its three portions, namely the outer, the middle and the inner ear. The inner ear, comprising the bony and membranous labyrinth with its central connections, arises from a set of structures quite distinct from those which give rise to the outer and middle ears. The development of the inner ear, which is the first organ of the special senses to become fully formed in man, is considered first, following a short, general description of the growth of the nervous system.