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How do we hear?

The ear has three major parts, described as the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. 
(See a diagram of the ear.)

• Outer Ear - Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through the ear canal to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and transmits these vibrations into the middle ear.

• Middle Ear - Three tiny bones called the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), and the stapes (stirrup) amplify the sound and send it to the inner ear.

• Inner Ear – The sound vibrations create ripples in the fluid of the cochlea. Projections from tiny hair cells bend, causing electrical impulses that the auditory nerve, or eighth cranial nerve, sends to the brain.

The brain translates these impulses into what we experience as sound.

How Sound Works

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