Hearing: The Basics

Hearing: The Basics

The process of hearing seems simple enough on the surface: we hear a sound, we recognize the sound, and we react to the sound. In reality, however, hearing is a complex process that requires the coordination of a number of different body parts and functions. To hear well, sound must travel through the outer ear, to the middle ear, and then to the inner ear, where it is converted into signals that are detected and decoded by the brain.

How does all this happen?

Sound first touches the outer ear, which consists of the pinna (the part of the ear that we all see and recognize) and the ear canal (the part of the ear that likes to gather ear wax). The pinna (the part of the ear you see) is shaped in a way that helps us recognize where sound comes from. Sound enters the pinna and is then routed to the ear canal.

The ear canal funnels sound down to the middle ear, which starts with the eardrum. The eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane, is at the end of the ear canal and functions just like its name suggests- when it is hit with sound, it vibrates like a drum. On the other side of the eardrum are three tiny bones, called ossicles.

There are three ossicles- the malleus, the incus, and the stapes. When the eardrum vibrates, it makes these tiny bones move as well. As they do, they hit another membrane, further inside the ear, called the oval window. (Are you amazed that you are able to hear yet? Keep reading!)

Once the sound reaches the membrane called the oval window, it reaches the inner ear. The inner ear is made up of a snail-shaped bony structure called the cochlea. The cochlea is filled with fluid. When the ossicles (the tiny bones in the middle ear) hit the oval window (the membrane at the end of the middle ear), the movement of the oval window makes the fluid in the cochlea move. This, in turn, stimulates tiny hair cells that are also in the cochlea.

There are certain hair cells that are activated depending on the pitch (or frequency) of the sound that is coming into the ear. Signals from the hair cells are translated into nerve impulses, which is code that the brain can make sense of. The signals move from the cochlea to the brain along the auditory nerve; if all goes well, the brain then processes the nerve impulses into sound that we can recognize.

Audiologists in Rye, NY

Audiology and Speech Solutions has audiologists and speech pathology experts in Rye, NY, to ensure that your hearing and communication are at their best state.

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As audiologists and speech language pathologists, we focus on holistically treating all aspects of communication through diagnostics.