(For those who don't know the labyrinth is part of the ear) Anatomist David Bainbridge wrote 'The first person to find his way around the ear's labyrinth... was by all accounts an arrogant, sarcastic, domineering, rude, vindictive, artist-anatomist-genius named Antonio Scarpa.' Antonio Scarpa was remarkable. By the age of 18 he was a physician and went on to preside over the anatomy department of university of Pavia for more then 50 years. He is best known for his work in the quest to discover and co-ordinate the mazelike structure of the ear and because of this, the fluid inside the ear is sometimes called Scarpa's fluid in his honor. The ear may be considered in 3 parts (such simplicity for something so complex!) The outer ear - The pinna (earlobe) The middle ear - Filled with air and possesses the tympanic membrane (eardrum) The inner ear - contains organs needed for balance and hearing. This is all entangled within a complex set of tiny tubes filled with fluid. The bony labyrinth has 3 sections 1) The spinal cochlea - which conveys sound to the auditory nerve 2) The semicircle canals - which assist with balance 3) The vestibule - which connects the cochlea So there you have it, a brief description of the history of the ear and it's various parts.