In this way, the patterns of oscillations on the basilar membrane are converted to spatiotemporal patterns of firings which transmit information about the sound to the brainstem. While the hair cells do not produce action potentials themselves, they release neurotransmitter at synapses with the fibers of the auditory nerve, which does produce action potentials. Basilar membrane motion causes depolarization of the hair cells, specialized auditory receptors located within the organ of Corti. Characteristic frequencies are high at the basal entrance to the cochlea, and low at the apex. The basilar membrane is tonotopic, so that each frequency has a characteristic place of resonance along it. Inside the organ of Corti is the basilar membrane, a structure that vibrates when waves from the middle ear propagate through the cochlear fluid – endolymph. It is divided lengthwise by the organ of Corti, which is the main organ of mechanical to neural transduction. The inner ear consists of the cochlea, which is a spiral-shaped, fluid-filled tube. Inner ear The inner ear is a small but very complex organ. The round window, another flexible membrane, allows for the smooth displacement of the inner ear fluid caused by the entering sound waves. The stapes transmits sound waves to the inner ear through the oval window, a flexible membrane separating the air-filled middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear. The purpose of the middle ear ossicles is to overcome the impedance mismatch between air waves and cochlear waves, by providing impedance matching.Īlso located in the middle ear are the stapedius muscle and tensor tympani muscle, which protect the hearing mechanism through a stiffening reflex. They aid in the transmission of the vibrations from the eardrum into the inner ear, the cochlea. Within this chamber are the three smallest bones in the body, known collectively as the ossicles which include the malleus, incus, and stapes (also known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, respectively). The middle ear consists of a small air-filled chamber that is located medial to the eardrum. There are three main components of the human auditory system: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Hearing mechanism The middle ear uses three tiny bones, the malleus, the incus, and the stapes, to convey vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. Both hearing and touch are types of mechanosensation. Like touch, audition requires sensitivity to the movement of molecules in the world outside the organism. In humans and other vertebrates, hearing is performed primarily by the auditory system: mechanical waves, known as vibrations, are detected by the ear and transduced into nerve impulses that are perceived by the brain (primarily in the temporal lobe). Partial or total inability to hear is called hearing loss. It is one of the traditional five senses. Sound may be heard through solid, liquid, or gaseous matter. The academic field concerned with hearing is auditory science. Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds through an organ, such as an ear, by detecting vibrations as periodic changes in the pressure of a surrounding medium. How sounds make their way from the source to the brain Schematic diagram of the human ear
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