Question

Explain how the human ear works.

Answer 1

- Hint: Our hearing system that is the mechanism of our ears is very complex from collecting the sound wave from outer source to the nerve tissue which sends it to the brain for understanding purposes.

Complete step-by-step solution -
Let us understand the mechanism step wise step-
The sound, which is nothing but a form of wave, is collected by the pinaa which is the only part of the ear visible to us from outside. It is sent to the eardrum which is like a vibrator that vibrates on getting the outside wave.it can detect even the faintest sound.
The eardrum vibrations caused by sound waves move the chain of tiny bones (malleus, incus and stapes) in the middle ear transferring the sound vibrations into the cochlea.
This happens because the last of the three bones in this chain, the stapes, sits in a membrane-covered window in the bony wall which separates the middle ear from the cochlea of the inner ear. As the stapes vibrates, it makes the fluids in the cochlea move in a wave-like manner, stimulating the microscopically small hair cells.
These nerve impulses follow a complicated pathway before arriving at the hearing centres of the brain, the auditory cortex. This is where the streams of nerve impulses are converted into meaningful sound.

Note- It is a fast process that takes a tiny fraction of a second to reach the brain from the outer portion. But ultimately it is sensed and made meaningful only by the brain. Hearing effects can be either partial or absolute. Hearing effects can be either partial or absolute. This may be due to accident or disability, congenital disorder or biochemical causes. When hearing loss is the result of injury or trauma to the outer or middle ears, it is known as conductive hearing loss.