Audigy Group

Mechanics of the Ear

1. The outer ear collects sound waves and directs them into the ear canal.

2. The ear canal carries sound waves to the eardrum.

3. Sound waves cause the tympanic membrane (eardrum) to vibrate.

4. The bones in the middle ear (malleus, incus, and stapes) pick up vibrations from the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

5. The bones in the middle ear amplify the sound and transmit it to the inner ear.

6. Vibrations pass through the oval window to the inner ear, setting the fluid inside the cochlea in motion. Special nerve cells (hair cells) within the cochlea then turn the sound waves into electrical impulses.

7. The auditory nerve sends these electrical impulses to the brainŐs auditory cortex, where it is processed as sound.

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