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How Hearing Works

white paper - ear functioning

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Meghan Lopez
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7 views2 pages

How Hearing Works

white paper - ear functioning

Uploaded by

Meghan Lopez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How Hearing Works

The process of hearing includes both the ear and the brain. The ear changes the
sound vibrations into a signal that can be understood by the brain. The brain is the
most important part of hearing since that is where sounds are converted into
meaningful information. The ear has three parts. These are the middle, inner and
outer ear. Each part of the ear has a different job.

Outer Ear
The outer portion of the ear is cupped so it can capture the sound vibrations in the
air. The vibrations travel through the outer ear canal and collide with the eardrum.
This causes the eardrum to vibrate.

Middle Ear
The vibration of the eardrum moves the three small bones (called ossicles) in the
middle ear. Common names for the bones are the hammer, anvil and stirrup. They
are also known as the malleus, incus and stapes. These bones amplify the vibration
and transfer the sound waves to the cochlea in the inner ear.

Inner Ear
The cochlea is a small snail-shaped channel through the temporal bone. The three
cochlear channels are filled with fluid. The vibrations from the ossicles are absorbed
into the fluid channels like waves in a pond. The middle channel contains the organ
of Corti and sensory hair cells. Movement of the fluid starts a chain reaction that
causes the cilia to bend. Bending of the hair cells sends electrical impulses to the
eighth nerve which carries the signal to the brain.

Brain
The auditory cortex in the brain interprets the neural impulses into a meaningful
message. We interpret the message according to our experiences in life.

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