The outer ear funnels sound waves through the ear canal vibrating the eardrum. The eardrum then vibrates the tiny bones of the middle ear. The sound waves are pushed into the inner ear where sensory hair cells within the cochlea respond and change the sound wave into an electrical signal. The auditory nerve then carries that electrical signal to the brain for interpretation.

We encourage you to check out this short video from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to learn about the “Journey of Sound to the Brain”.