How Does the Human Ear Hearing Process?
The sound you hear is not solely because the sound from outside is directly heard through your ear. There is a process, namely the process of hearing, in which the sound from the outside is caught by the outer ear. The sound is then passed to other parts that are deeper in the ear until you can finally receive it.
The ear has three main parts, namely the outer, middle, and inner parts. In the process of hearing, these three parts will work continuously. All of these parts must be in the ideal conditions so that the sound can be processed properly.
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What are the Supporting Parts of the Hearing Process?
To have a better understanding of the listening process, you need to know the parts of the ear, namely:
Outer ear
The earlobe is one part of the outer ear. Meanwhile, the outer ear also consists of the ear canal which is coated with hair and glands that produce a layer of wax.
Middle ear
There are three small bones, namely the maleus, incus, and stapes. It is in this middle ear that sound is transmitted from the eardrum to the inner ear. The middle ear is an important part as there are many spaces and organs that work in processing sounds, also the Eustachian tract which functions to balance the pressure on the inner and outer sides of the eardrum.
Inner ear
This section is called a maze because it contains complicated auditory organs and systems. This part also works as a support for the body's balance system and the main hearing organ located inside the cochlea.
These ear parts are interrelated and work together to form a perfect listening process.
This is the process of hearing
In the process, sound waves are captured by the earlobe, then the sound is channeled through the external auditory channel to the tympanic membrane. The tympanic membrane trembled as a sign that the organ was receiving sound waves. After that, vibrations flow towards the maleus, incus, and stapes to be channeled again to the oval membrane and into the cochlea organ.
Seeing the process of connecting between organs with one another, it is not strange if the sound from outside is changed by these organs to be 20 times stronger than the original sound.
This hearing process ends in the cochlea. The cochlea is the last organ in the auditory system that counterfeit a snail's shell. fluid filled room that will vibrate and stimulate the auditory nerve to the brain. These nerves connect the sound frequency to the brain.
Besides the Main Part of the Hearing Process, What Are the Functions of the Ear?
Keep in mind that the ear not only functions as the main organ of the sense of hearing, but also plays a role in maintaining the balance of the body. 'The second function' of this ear is specifically supported by a combination of functions of the related organs. There are several supporting networks that are interrelated in building body balance functions, namely:
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Sensory organs in the inner ear
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Information received by the body's receptors, namely in the joints
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Visual information
The whole process of this cooperation will then be processed by the brain so that it allows the body to control the direction of the head and body speed.
This listening process is only information for you. The most important thing about hearing is treating and maintaining the hearing organ, which is the ear organ as a whole, whether it appears from the outside or not, to stay healthy. Don't forget, if there are complaints about hearing problems, immediately consult your doctor so that your problem does not get worse.
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Reference :
Healthline (2015). Ear.
Kids Health (2014). For Kids. Your Ears.
Shah, R. Medscape (2017). Drugs & Diseases. Hearing Impairment.