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How sound waves move from outer ear to the inner ear and then interpreted by us as sound?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
What we perceive as "sound" is in fact a neural reaction to changes in air compression that our brains interpret as "sound". Air is compressed by some mechanical action (such as a speaker moving inwards and outwards), and the outer ear acts as a bit of a lens to capture and guide these compressed air waves to the inner ear, where the tympanic membrane reacts to these vibrations by vibrating (like the skin of a drum head, but in reverse - this is why it's called an "eardrum"). This vibration is transmitted to nerves that are very close to the ear, which in turn send electrical nerve impulses to the brain, which interprets these as "sound".
If you think about this for a moment, the question "if a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" becomes answerable. If nobody hears it, it doesn't create a "sound", only compressions in surrounding air. For the tree to make a falling sound, someone would have to be present and their brain would have to interpret these compression waves as "sound".
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
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How does the movement of fluids help organisms to hear?
In the ear structure there are hollow channels in the inner ear which contain fluid. The outer ear receives pressurised sound waves from the external environment, they are carried to the inner ear and causing ripples in the fluid, tiny hair cells detect this and carry the signal to the brain via the auditory nerve. This is then interpreted by the brain and the sound is "heard" by the organism.
What three kinds of body parts do sound waves travel through before they reach the brain?
Outer ear, middle ear and inner ear
What three general kinds of body parts do sound waves travel through before they reach the brain?
Sound waves travel through the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear before they reach the brain. In the outer ear, sound waves are collected by the ear canal and directed to the eardrum. Then, in the middle ear, the sound waves cause the three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) to vibrate. Finally, in the inner ear, the vibrations are transformed into electrical signals that are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.
Is the sound gathered and focused on the outer ear?
yes and no, When you hear a bark how do you know it is a dog? How do you recognize the sound as different from the phone rining or a song on the radio? Sound is captured by the ear and interpreted by the brain. The ear is made of three parts - the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The outer ear is responsible for capturing sound waves. Once captured, the sound waves travel through the ear canal and vibrates the eardrum. Three tiny bones in the middle ear, called the hammer (malleus), the anvil (incus), and the stirrup (stapes), carry the vibration to the inner ear. A spiral structure called the cochlea changes the vibrations into electrical impulses, which are carried to the brain through the auditory nerve. A special area of your brain called the auditory cortex interprets and identifies the sound.
Would sound waves traveling through the outer ear travel faster or slower than those traveling through the inner ear?
yes it can yes it can
The middle ear is what?
is responsible for transmitting sound waves from the outer ear to the inner ear
What is the purpose of the outer ear?
The outer ear helps sound to travel to the inner ear. It is responsible for collecting sound waves and directing them to the middle ear via the auditory canal.
What are the functions of the three main parts of the human ear?
The three main parts of the ear are the outer ear, middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear's function is to funnel or pass sound waves through the ear to the middle ear. The middle ear's function is to protect the inner ear from damaging sounds. In the inner ear, sound waves are converted into nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain to be interpreted. The inner ear also serves as the main organ of balance for the body.
The functions of the three main parts of the human ear?
The three main parts of the ear are the outer ear, middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear's function is to funnel or pass sound waves through the ear to the middle ear. The middle ear's function is to protect the inner ear from damaging sounds. In the inner ear, sound waves are converted into nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain to be interpreted. The inner ear also serves as the main organ of balance for the body.
Why is the outer ear soft and flat?
So sound waves can bounce off the ear into the inner part.
What does the outer ear do to sound?
gather sound waves
How does sound happen?
By multiple vibrations in the air aka sound waves. An object which creates kinetic energy produces air pressure variations which are interpreted as sound by the brain via the ear drum and the nerves in the inner ear.
How does the movement of fluids help organisms to hear?
In the ear structure there are hollow channels in the inner ear which contain fluid. The outer ear receives pressurised sound waves from the external environment, they are carried to the inner ear and causing ripples in the fluid, tiny hair cells detect this and carry the signal to the brain via the auditory nerve. This is then interpreted by the brain and the sound is "heard" by the organism.
What does the helix do in the ear?
Your entire outer ear is designed to funnel sound into the inner ear, and the helix is just a particular part of it.
What three kinds of body parts do sound waves travel through before they reach the brain?
Outer ear, middle ear and inner ear
What three general kinds of body parts do sound waves travel through before they reach the brain?
Sound waves travel through the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear before they reach the brain. In the outer ear, sound waves are collected by the ear canal and directed to the eardrum. Then, in the middle ear, the sound waves cause the three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) to vibrate. Finally, in the inner ear, the vibrations are transformed into electrical signals that are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.
What are the three major parts of the peripheral auditory system How does each function in detecting sound?
Outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer is the ear lobe, it collects pressure variations in the air. The middle acts as a transducer; changing high amplitude air waves into low amplitude liquid waves, and the inner ear changes the liquid waves into nerve impulses.
