Vibrations of air molecules moving through the air are received and translated into messages that the brain recognizes as sound by a complex organ--the ear. The ear has two important, but different, functions: hearing and sensing the body's equilibrium, or balance. The mechanisms for these processes are located within a hollow space in the skull's temporal bone. Parts of the Ear and Hearing The ear has three separate sections:the outer ear, the middle ear, …showed first 75 words of 710 total…

…showed last 75 words of 710 total…are affected to a similar degree. A severe impairment of hearing generally occurs but not always. Ototoxic, or ear-poisoning, drugs can cause temporary and even permanent damage to the hearing-nerve function. Large doses of such salicylates as aspirin may cause ringing in the ears of some persons, followed by a temporary decrease in hearing. When a person stops taking the drug, hearing returns to normal. Certain antibiotics may cause permanent damage to the hearing-nerve function.