Hearing

EarsSound travels in the air at about 340 metres

per second as waves of vibrating air particlesThese vibrations travel into your ear canal

and cause your eardrum to vibrateThe various parts of the ear then combine to

amplify The sound and convert its energy into electrical impulses

These are then sent via nerves to the brain for interpretation

Ears

The ear consists of three main sections: the outer, middle and inner ear

The outer and middle ear are filled with air, while the inner ear is filled with fluid

Pinna collects sounds and funnels them into the auditory canal

Eardrum is made of a thin sheet of muscle and skin. It vibrates in response to sounds

Vibrations are passed to a set of three tiny bones known as the Ossicles: the hammer, anvil and stirrup

By the time it reaches the stirrup, sound has been amplified so that it is about 30 times louder than at the eardrum

Ears

The stirrup vibrates against oval window at the boundary causing vibrations to pass into cochlea.

Cochlea is coiled and fluid-filled tube. This fluid passes vibrations to a layer of tiny hairs connected to auditory nerves.

Auditory nerves send messages to the brain, which are then interpreted as sounds.

Two ears help you determine the direction of a sound. If a sound reaches both ears at the same time. brain interprets this to tell you that the source of the sound is directly in front, directly behind or directly above

Ears

Deafness : Cannot hear at allPartial Deafness: Temporary deafness

which can be cured by hearing aid or surgeryTinnitus: A condition in which a person

hears a permanent ringing in the ears even when there is no sound, can be caused by exposure to loud sounds over a long period of time

Ear problems

Auslan: Australian Sign Language