How Do Ears Work?

Introduction

     Different sources of sound create different pressures in your ear. That’s why your ear hears different sounds. Have you ever wondered how all the parts of the ear work together so that you can hear all of those different sounds? Well, keep reading this website so that you can find out!

Parts of the Ear

     The main parts of the ear are the outer ear, middle ear, and the inner ear. The ear is the part of your body that controls hearing and balance. Also, the ear receives and sends information about sounds to your brain.

The Outer Ear

     The outer ear is made up of the pinna (auricle). This is the part you see on the side of your head. There is also a tube called the auditory canal that connects the outer ear to the middle ear. Sound travels through this tube to the eardrum.

The Middle Ear

     The middle ear has three small bones called the malleus, incus, and stapes. They work together to send sound waves to the inner ear. Sounds make the eardrums vibrate, which causes those bones to move.

Sound waves

     Sound waves are changed into electrical signals. These signals are sent to the brain by the auditory nerve. When humans hear a sound, first the sound waves reach the outer ear. Then the sound waves pass through the ear canal, which is a passage to the eardrum.

Eardrum

     When soundwaves hit the eardrum, the vibrations are sent to a part in the middle ear called the ossicles. The ossicles are made up of three tiny bones that amplify the sound waves and send them to the cochlea.

The Inner Ear

     The cochlea is the most important part of the inner ear. It is shaped like a snail. It is a spiral tube with many hearing nerves. The vestibule and the semi-circular canals in your inner ear control your balance.

Conclusion

     In conclusion, your ears have a lot of parts that work together.  All the parts have an important job, from the three tiny bones in your ossicles, to the snail-shaped part called the cochlea, to the auditory nerve that carries electrical signals to your brain.

     The parts all work together to turn noises into signals that your brain can understand and recognize from other sounds. That's how your ears work.