How do you Hear?

Your ears are the sense organs that respond to the stimulus of sound. The ears convert or change the sound to nerve impulses that your brain interprets.

How sound is produced Sound is produced by vibrations (moving rapidly back and forth) Ex. Guitar string, insect wings, splashing water

Vibrations create waves. Waves move outward from the source of sound, like ripples moving out from a stone dropped in water Ex. Air: Hearing your friend talk Liquid: dolphins communicating Solid: wood

Sound Vibrations and the Ear The ear is structured to receive sound vibrations.

Outer Ear Ear CanalSound waves travel down this canal

Outer Ear EardrumSeperates the outer and middle ear. A membrane that vibrates when sound strikes it

Middle Ear HammerVibrates from the eardrum and passes the vibration on to the anvil

Middle Ear AnvilVibrates from the hammer and passes the vibration on to the stirrup

Stirrup Vibrates against a thin membrane covering the inner ear and sends the vibration into the fluid in the cochlea

Inner Ear Semicircular CanalsStructures in the ear that give you your sense of balance

Inner Ear cochleaSnail-shaped tube lined with nerve cells that respond to sound when fluid vibrates, stimulates nerve cells

Auditory NerveSensory neurons send nerve impulses to the brain through the auditory nerve. These are interpreted as sounds that you hear

How You Hear 1.Sounds Waves 2.Ear canal 3.Eardrum 4.Hammer 5.Anvil 6.Stirrup 7.Cochlea 8.Auditory Nerve 9.Brain 10.You hear the sound

Ear Structure and Function Anatomy of the Ear Hearing Frequency Sound Transduction Effect of Sound Waves on Cochlear Structures