How do you hear?
The auditory system processes sound by converting it into neural signals.
When sound enters the ear, it makes the eardrum vibrate, which causes the hammer bone to hit the anvil and move the stapes bone. This motion pushes the fluid in the cochlea, where the sound vibrations become fluid vibrations that travel through the cochlea like a wave.
Sound waves vibrate specific hair cells on the basilar membrane, depending on frequency. This membrane has one end that is stiff and responsive to high-frequency sounds, and another end that is more flexible and responsive to low-frequency sounds.
The brain locates the source of a sound by comparing sounds received by both ears.
Low-frequency sounds coming from one side reach the ear closest to the sound microseconds before the other ear. High-frequency sounds seem louder in the ear closest to the sound.
The brainstem analyzes time and intensity differences between the ears, then sends results to the auditory cortex for processing, providing sound patterns and spatial location information.