The outer ear is the external portion of the ear and includes the eardrum.

Pinna, or auricle

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The visible part is called the pinna, or auricle, and functions to collect and focus sound waves. Many mammals can move the pinna (with the auriculares muscles) in order to focus their hearing in a certain direction in much the same way that they can turn their eyes. Humans, unlike most other mammals, do not have this ability.

The human ear has ear lobes at the bottom that are vestigial but are used by many people to provide an attachment point for earrings. The earlobe is usually formed cleft from the side of the face and hangs from the rest of the ear but occasionally will be found looking fused and "lobeless" due to a recessive gene.

Ear canal, or external auditory meatus

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From the pinna the sound pressure waves move into the ear canal, a simple tube running to the middle ear. This tube amplifies frequencies in the range 3 kHz to 12 kHz.

Auditory system

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