What section of the hearing apparatus includes the pinna/auricle and the external acoustic meatus?

The correct response identifies the outer ear as the section of the hearing apparatus that includes the pinna (also known as the auricle) and the external acoustic meatus. The pinna is the visible part of the ear that protrudes from the head, and it serves to collect and direct sound waves into the ear canal. The external acoustic meatus, or ear canal, is the passage that leads from the outside of the ear to the tympanic membrane (eardrum). Together, these structures form the outer ear, which plays a critical role in the process of hearing by funneling sound waves toward the middle ear.

The other sections of the ear, such as the inner ear and middle ear, serve different functions distinct from those of the outer ear. The middle ear contains the ossicles and is involved in amplifying sound, while the inner ear houses the cochlea and is responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain to interpret. The auditory canal is another term that refers specifically to the ear canal and does not encompass the entirety of the outer ear, which includes the pinna as well.