Virtual tour of the ear
The outer ear starts with the pinna, which collects the sound wave that is then channelled by the ear canal. The ear drum (a thin membrane that marks the boundary between the outer ear and the middle ear) goes into vibration. Inside the middle ear, the ossicles (the malleus, the incus and the stapes) mechanically transmit the sound vibration to the inner ear, where the cochlea (a coiled, bony tube) is.
The vibration spreads in the liquid of the cochlea and sets the hearing hair cells in motion, which transform the acoustic energy into nerve impulses. The fibres of the hearing nerve finally transmit the information to the brain.
Our ears never rest. Even when we are sleeping, sounds are picked up and interpreted by our brains.
Our hair cells are fragile. We only have 15,000, and once destroyed, they are never renewed!
A lengthy exposure to a high noise level or a brief exposure to a very high noise level can cause their permanent destruction!
Poll
Have you ever felt the effects of ambient noise on your health?
Did you know?
The 3 ossicles in the middle ear are the smallest bones in the human body.
The malleus, the incus and the stapes, the three ossicles in the middle ear, are less than 10 mm long and less than 50 mg in total.
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