Hearing is one of the five senses. Waves received by the ear are interpreted by the brain as sounds varying in pitch, intensity and timbre. The external protrusion, or ‘auricle’, of the ear directs sound waves into the external auditory canal, where they travel towards the tympanic membrane and cause it to vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted to the oral window by three small bones in the middle ear before reaching the cochlea. These movements are then conveyed to the brain via the vestibulocochlear nerve to be interpreted — Dr John Cormack