How do we hear?

How we hear is via detecting sound waves in our ears. Sound waves, which are a mechanical compression and rarification of the air medium, hit our ears. Each wave moves the timpanic membrane of the ear, which in turn moves the tiny bones which transmit the signal to the inner ear, or cochlea. In the inner ear are small fibers which bend back and forth, registering the waves against the nerve endings. It is this vibration of the nerve endings which we percieve as sound.

We can detect vibrations in the speed of 20 cycles to 20,000 cycles per second. Some people are able to detect frequencies higher, such as children. As we get older, our ability to hear tends to diminish at the higher frequencies, and prolonged exposure to loud sounds also affects our hearing. With musicians, this is often a problem and many people report hearing loss in the 1Khz to 2Khz range.

Along with simply hearing the sound, we are able to detect direction. Two ears give us the ability to triangulate the direction of a sound source. Other factors enable us to interpret elevation and distance, although not as well.

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