You might be wondering how we hear sounds. Hearing is the process of sound travelling through the outer, middle and inner ear to be interpreted by the brain. There are four main steps of hearing:
- Sound waves enter the ear canal and move toward the eardrum
- Vibrations caused by the sound waves striking the eardrum make three tiny bones located in the middle ear to vibrate
- Hair cells within the cochlea catch the vibrations and turn them into electrical signals
- The auditory nerve carries the electrical signals to the brain where it interprets the signals as sound
The Hearing Process of the Human Ear
The ear can be divided into three main parts, each part playing an important role in transmitting sound. The three main parts of your ear are the outer, middle, and inner ear.
Your hearing depends on all three parts working together as a team and if you have a problem anywhere in the process, you may experience hearing loss.