How do we hear?

High School Kruševac

The structure of the ear
 The ear consists of three parts:
1. External ear (auricle and ear canal): It collects sounds
and transmits them through the ear canal to the eardrum.
2. Middle ear (eardrum, hammer, anvil, and stirrup): Sound
from the external ear causes the eardrum to vibrate,
which is then transmitted through the auditory ossicles
to the inner ear.
3. Inner ear (cochlea and auditory nerve): Vibrations from
the middle ear pass through the cochlea, stimulating the
hair cells and thereby generating electrical impulses.
These impulses then travel through the auditory nerve to
the auditory center in the brain.
The role of the ear
 The role of the ear as a sensory organ of
hearing:
1. Registration of sound waves.
2. Orientation(the ear can detect the
location from which sound is coming).
3. Receivesmechanical waves and converts
them into nerve impulses.
4. Determines the direction and distance of
the sound source.
How do we hear?
Interesting facts
The stirrup is the smallest human bone.
The inner ear is located in the hardest bone in the human
body.
The wax found inside the ear consists of oil and sweat and
is necessary for good ear health.
The human ear can distinguish hundreds of thousands of
different sounds.
Noise in cities reduces the sensitivity of the sense of
hearing.
In rural areas, the hearing of elderly people weakens by 20
dB, while in city dwellers, it can weaken by up to 45 dB.