How does our auditory system work? The ear is one of the most complex and precise organs in the human body. Below, we explain the parts that make up the ear and the function of each one:
The ear: a sensitive, advanced organ
The primary function of the ear is to maintain our senses of balance and hearing.
Also known as the vestibulocochlear organ, it acts as a receptor and filter in which auditory stimuli are transformed into information that is subsequently decoded by the brain. Therefore, the main functions carried out by the ear are detecting, transmitting and converting sounds into electric impulses.
Structure and anatomy of the ear
The auditory system consists of three major parts:
Photo credit: Simple bio
- The external ear: formed by the pinna and the external auditory canal, which receives sounds and transmits them to the middle ear via the eardrum. The eardrum is circular and flexible, and begins to vibrate as the incoming sound waves strike it.
- The middle ear: includes the ossicles, three minuscule bones called the malleus, incus and stapes (the latter being the smallest bone in the human body). These bones form a bridge between the eardrum and the inner ear through the oval window that covers the cochlea. A narrow tube of approximately 3.5 cm in length, called the Eustachian tube, connects the ear to the outer part of the nose and acts as an equalizing valve. This ensures that the pressure on either side of the eardrum is balanced and that sound can be heard correctly.
- The inner ear: includes the cochlea, a structure that has a spiral shape similar to a snail shell, and is located in the bony labyrinth, which has several membranous sections filled with fluids called endolymph and When these liquids move, they create fluctuations in the cochlea’s hair-like structures called stereocilia. Finally, the Organ of Corti transforms the mechanical energy of the sound waves into nerve energy by creating electric impulses that are sent to the brain through the auditory or vestibulocochlear nerve.
Failure to receive these electric impulses in the brain is a sign that the ear is defective or damaged, and is a warning that there is something amiss in our auditory system.
Auditory training can help some people who suffer deafness or hearing loss to recover the ability to receive and process sound and understand spoken language more fluidly. For example, hearing centres such as Audifón offer clients simple instructions for completing a series of hearing rehabilitation exercises at home to help the ears recognize certain frequencies and improve hearing levels.
If you have any doubts or queries on how our ears work, leave us a comment below or contact us through our website or social media pages.
Keep an eye out for our next post, which is coming soon and is full of interesting facts about ears! 🙂
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I came to your blog looking for graphics to use to better explain to my 94 year old father about getting water in his perforated eardrum. Thank you for your blog.
BTW, my daughter lives in Barcelona! We are in Colorado, USA.
Thank you very much for your comment. Regards :)!
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We really appreciate your comment, Jmartins! Thanks a lot.
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Thank you, Usama Maood 🙂
Landed on this blog, after my ear has had several paining due to allergic illness I always feel like using a swab to clean it. Yet there is no dirt. But its very painful inside. I suspect the ear drum what cd be the problem. Doctors help. BTW am somewhere in Africa, Uganda 🇺🇬, Kampala capital city
Thank you for sharing your experience. As always we recommend that you go to a specialist who can diagnose your case. Best regards.
Good
Thanks !
So nice,am a student so this blog page is help to know the simple way to understand the mechanism of hearing
It’s great to know that our blog is helpful for the students!Thanks for your comment.
Not too long, concise, precise and yet comprehensive and easy to understand.
It was like I was reading a summarised text book.
Thank you kiversal
We really appreciate your comment, Araidasiolorun Adeleke. Thank you very much!
Nice blog keep it on
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Thank you for your comment, Joseph! 🙂
Audiometers are standard equipment at ENT (ear, nose, throat) clinics and in audiology centers. An alternative to hardware audiometers are software audiometers or digital audiometer which are available in many different configurations. Screening PC-based audiometer use a standard computer. Clinical PC-based audiometers are generally more expensive than software audiometers, but are much more accurate and efficient. They are most commonly used in hospitals, audiology centers and research communities. These audiometers are also used to conduct industrial audiometric testing. Some audiometers even provide a software developer’s kit that provides researchers with the capability to create their own diagnostic tests.
Thank you for your feedback, your contribution is greately appreciated!
Interesting and educating
Thank you so much for your feedback! We really appreciate it! 🙂
Am very inspired with your blog, keep it up.
Thank you very much for your kind feedback, really appreciate it! 🙂
Great information about Eardrum . it’s really helpful for the reader.
Thank you for your feedback!
I’m a student of special education, hearing impaired to be precise, I have learnt alot about audiology but reading this in your blog is really more enlightened. thanks man
Thanks, we really appreciate the feedback!
am really grateful for your content
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Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
nice blog , this blog help me to know everything about ear in easy way.
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I am new to this group and hope that this question is not inappropriate. If it is, please let me know.
I am on oxygen 24/7 and even though I have a humidifier attachment, I do get nosebleeds. Those create scabs in my nose and sinus. What has apparently happened is my hearing was almost gone in right ear. I went to 2 ENT doctors who immediately said I need to puncture the eardrum to get fluid from behind eardrum.
My situation is a bit weird. When these scabs form, they block my air flow, so I pull them out as my medical condition requires oxygen . Here is the situation.
Once the scab is removed, I feel the fluid drain and my hearing returns for hours. Then, as new scabs form, the process begins again. Even holding my nose and blowing causing the ears to ‘pop’ clears them for awhile.
I could be totally off base, but it seems to me that puncturing my eardrum is not going to be the solution to this problem. If eustachuan tube is unblocked by removal of scab, how will puncturing eardrum solve issue?
Any suggestions? Advice? And doctor said could take up to a year to heal.
Your thoughts?
I will most likely need a hearing aid whether I do it or not.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Aileen. It’s important to consult a specialist who can provide personalized advice based on your unique situation. They may have insights or alternative approaches that can be explored. Remember to discuss thoroughly with a qualified healthcare provider.