Sound is produced by vibrating objects and travels as sound waves. The ear is a vital sense organ that receives these vibrations and sends signals to the brain for interpretation. It helps us hear different sounds, from soft to loud, throughout our daily life. However, continuous exposure to loud noise can harm our hearing.
Structure of a Human Ear
The ear is an extremely sensitive device. The structure consists of three parts i.e. outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear.
- The Outer Ear consists of the Pinna and Ear canal.
- The Middle Ear consists of Eardrum, Anvil, Hammer and Stirrup.
- However, the Inner ear has Cochlea, Circular canal, and Auditory nerve.
The outer ear is funnel-shaped and called the pinna, which collects sound and sends it through the auditory canal to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates when sound waves reach it, and these vibrations are amplified by three small bones in the middle ear called the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The middle ear also has the Eustachian tube for pressure balance. In the inner ear, the cochlea converts these vibrations into electrical signals, which are carried to the brain by the auditory nerve and are interpreted as sound.
Working of the Ear
Hearing is the process of converting sound waves into electrical signals. Sound waves enter through the ear canal and reach the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations are passed and amplified by the three small bones in the middle ear and sent to the cochlea in the inner ear.
Inside the cochlea, vibrations create fluid movement that stimulates hair cells, producing electrical signals. These signals are carried by the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.
How does Brain perceive the Sound?
The sense of hearing works through the auditory system, where the ear collects sound waves and converts them into electrical impulses. In the inner ear, movement of tiny hair-like structures called stereocilia causes chemical changes that generate electrical signals. These signals are carried by the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain then interprets these signals and helps us recognize and understand different sounds from the environment.
How we hear the Sound?
We hear sound because the ear and brain work together. The tiny hair cells in the inner ear convert sound vibrations into electrical signals, which are carried by the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain then interprets these signals as sound and helps us understand and respond to our surroundings. Example: when we hear a fast-moving vehicle while walking on the road, we quickly move aside for safety, even without seeing it clearly.
Sample Problems
Question 1: How can we feel the surrounding noise?
Solution: Every sound near us produces vibrations inside the eardrum and these vibrations are further leads to the electrical impulses following the inner ear which gets detect by the brain that's why further perception process takes place in the brain, and we feel the sound.
Question 2: Why it is found difficult to hear when we put a cotton ball in the ear?
Solution: Whenever we put the cotton balls inside our ear, it clogs or damps the ear path which decreases the amount of vibrations entering into the inner that's why less the vibration goes less the transmission occurs resulting in difficulty in hearing.
Question 3: During yawning, why we lose hearing?
Solution: During yawning, muscles around the middle ear contracts, that's why we are not able to hear sometimes also loss our hearing power or capacity to hear loud sound.
Question 4: What is the range of frequency of human hearing capacity?
Solution: 20 Hz to 20 kHz is the hearing range of frequency of a normal person. Hearing higher than the hearing capacity can be harmful for a person's health.
Question 5: Which organs or parts of the body are used in the process of sound?
Solution: The function or process produced by organs or parts are:
Function
Organ
Producing the sound
Voice box or larynx
Hearing and converting the sound
Human ear
Interpreting the sound
Brain