 The receptors of the ear are the mechanoreceptors.  These receptors respond to physical forces such as gross movements that disturb fluids that are around the balance organs  Even though balance and hearing are housed in the ear, their receptors work independently of each other

 The Spiral organ of Corti is located in the cochlear duct  The hair cells located in the spiral organ of Corti are the hearing receptors  The cochlear duct has chambers above and below it containing perilymph (extracellular fluid)  Sound enters through the external ear  Sound waves are vibrated through eardrums, ossicles and oval window. They then reach the cochlea and set cochlear fluids in motion.  The ossicles increase the amplitude of the sound waves so that the large force can reach the small window. It cause the three bones, incus(hammer), stirrup(malleus) and stapes(anvil) to span the tympanic cavity or the middle ear  This causes the inner ear’s fluid to vibrate and then the waves of the fluid causes the basilar membrane to vibrate  The vibrations cause the gel-like tectorial membrane to move which then stimulates the hair receptor cells by bending or tweaking them

 The fibers of the basilar membrane “tunes” different regions to reverberate at specific frequencies  High pitched frequencies disturb short fibers that are located close to the oval window, but low pitched frequencies disturb long fibers that are located further along the cochlea

 The stimulated hair cells send impulses along the cochlear nerve › The cochlear nerve is part of the cranial nerve VIII or the vestibulocochlear nerve)  The impulse is taken to the auditory cortex of the temporal lobe of the brain  This is where interpretation of sound/ hearing happens  Our two ears hear sound at different times or “in stereo”. This helps us locate the location from which the sound is coming from.

 Conduction deafness- when something such as ear wax buildup interferes with sound vibrations reaching the fluid of the inner ear  Sensorineurial deafness- when there is some damage to the hair receptor cells in the spiral organ of Corti, the cochlear nerve, or the auditory cortex neurons. This damage can be caused by loud sounds