This adjective originates from the Latin “auricula,” meaning “ear.” In human anatomy, the auricle is the projecting outer portion of the ear, also called the pinna. However, “auricular” is applied elsewhere in the human body: The heart has ear-shaped projections, called auricular appendages, coming from each atrium. They have thin walls and act as receiving rooms for blood, while the ventricles below act as pumps to move the blood away from the heart.