For alternative meanings, see ear (disambiguation).

An ear is the organ used by a human or an animal to detect sound waves. The term may refer to the entire system responsible for collection and early processing of sound (the beginning of the auditory system), or merely the externally-visible part. Not all animals have ears in the same part of the body. Audition is the scientific name for the sense of hearing. The organ of Corti is the actual organ of hearing.

The mammalian ear