The ear is a complex organ consisting of the outer, middle, and inner ear. The inner ear is the deepest part of the ear, resting in the temporal bone. It is responsible for hearing, balance, and ...

The entire inner ear and the neurons that innervate it derive from a simple piece of embryonic ectoderm next to the hindbrain called the otic placode. This ectoderm thickens, invaginates and folds up ...