Is the sound gathered and focused on the outer ear?

Answer 1

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.