Hearing

Have you ever wondered what happens during the hearing process? I have, and me being the curious gal that I am, I researched it. So for those of you who are interested, here is what I found:

 

 

The Hearing Process:

 

The sound waves enter into the ear through the eardrum. The hammer, anvil, and stirrup amplify the sound vibrations and sends them into the oval window which is connects the stirrup bone to the cochlea. From the oval window, the vibrations travel through the cochlea that is filled with liquid. The vibrations cause the liquid to tense up causing the hair cells in the basilar membrane to produce an electrical signal. That electrical signals are sent into the auditory nerve which is connected to the auditory cortex of the temporal lobe. The auditory cortex then interprets the sound we hear.



Frequency:  The number of cycles in a wave per a given unit of time.

Pitch: The percieved highness or lowness of a sound, determined by frequency. For example, high frequency- high pitch, low frequency- low pitch.





Amplitude: Amount of energy in a wave. How tall or short a wavelength is. Measures bright colors and loud sounds.

 

 

The Inner Ear:

 







The inner ear contains the cochlea, semicirular canals, and the vestibular sacs. They make up the parts of the ear beyond the ear drum.

The Middle Ear:



The section inside the ear that is between the eardrum and cochlea. It is made up of the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.