What are the small holes in the outer ear?

The holes in the outer ears are the external ends of the auditory canals, or ear canals. The ear canal is a tube-like structure made of skin and bones that ends at the eardrum, also knows as the lymphatic membrane.

In hearing, sound travels around the auricle (pinna) of the outer ear and through the ear canal to the lymphatic membrane. After passing through the middle ear and into the inner ear, vibrations activate nerve endings that send electrical impulses to the brain, where sound is interpreted.