Chapter 10, Problem 16STP

To determine

To describe:the path of sound from the time it enters the ear until a message reaches the brain.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Human ear and the brain works together to gather sound waves and turn them into something meaningful. At the first stage, the ear gathers the waves and then amplifies them. In the ear, the amplified waves are converted to electrical signals and then carried to the brain by the nerves. The brain then decodes and interprets the signals.

The ear has three regions that perform specific functions in hearing. The sound wave reaches the visible or outer portion of the ear. As the wave reaches this outer part, they move to the auditory canal before hitting the eardrum. As it reaches the eardrum, it begins to vibrate and then enters the middle ear. The sound then enters into the cochlea in the inner ear where the tiny hair cells get stimulated and then sends the impulses as electrical signals to the brain via the nerves.