What part of the ear is visibly referred to as the auricle?

The auricle, often called the pinna, is the visible part of the outer ear that is located on the side of the head. It is composed of cartilage and skin and serves to collect sound waves and funnel them into the ear canal. Its unique shape helps in directing sound to the tympanic membrane (eardrum). Understanding the structure of the auricle is important in fields such as audiology and otology, as it plays a crucial role in hearing.

The tympanic membrane is not visible from the outside of the ear since it is located deeper within the ear, separating the outer ear from the middle ear. The cochlea is a spiral-shaped organ within the inner ear responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals, while the auditory canal is the passageway that leads from the outer ear to the tympanic membrane.