<P> Huschke's teeth are the tooth shaped ridges on the spiral limbus that are in contact with the tectoria and separated by interdental cells . </P> <P> Neurons within the ear respond to simple tones, and the brain serves to process other increasingly complex sounds . An average adult is typically able to detect sounds ranging between 20 and 20,000 Hz . The ability to detect higher pitch sounds decreases in older humans . </P> <P> The human ear has evolved with two basic tools to encode sound waves; each are separate in detecting high and low frequency sounds . Georg von Békésy (1899 - 1972) employed the use of a microscope in order to examine the basilar membrane located within the inner - ear of cadavers . He found that movement of the basilar membrane resembles that of a traveling wave; the shape of which varies based on the frequency of the pitch . In low frequency sounds, the tip (apex) of the membrane moves the most, while in high frequency sounds, the base of the membrane moves most . </P> <P> Interference with or infection of the labyrinth can result in a syndrome of ailments called labyrinthitis . The symptoms of labyrinthitis include temporary nausea, disorientation, vertigo, and dizziness . Labyrinthitis can be caused by viral infections, bacterial infections, or physical blockage of the inner ear . </P>

What body system is the ear a part of