Question

Explain how our ear works as an organ of hearing.

Answer 1

The ear is an organ that helps in hearing and maintaining equilibrium. It analyses and detects the sounds by the process of transduction. It is the conversion of the sound waves in electric and chemical impulses.

Complete answer:
The following steps regarding the working of the ear are as follows-
• In the ear the sound gets transmitted in the form of sound waves from the surrounding environment. The outer ear, with the help of pinna gathers these waves and sends them to the ear canal, where on the other end eardrum is present.
• These sound waves cause vibrations in the eardrum, that in turn provides motion to the three sets of bones that are present right on the top of the eardrum, named as, anvil, stirrup and hammer.
• The motion of the three bones, in turn causes the fluid present in the cochlea or inner ear to move.
• This movement of the inner fluid causes hair cells present in the cochlea to bend. These hair cells help in changing the fluid movement in electrical impulse.
• The electrical impulse is then transmitted to the auditory or the hearing nerve to the brain,
• The brain then interprets these sounds.
The diagram for the ear, for the better understanding in its function, is given below-

Note: The eardrum is a flap of skin which is represented as a drum like structure when stretched and helps in producing sound vibrations. The cochlea is an auditory inner ear that transforms the sound waves into a neural message.