determining vibrations would not be possible. Sound is described as a sequence .
of an infinite numb.
e.
r of vibrations, and the detection of these vibrations is called hearing. We as .
humans can hear vibrations over a broad range of frequencies that have the .
ability to pass through many different media, whether it is a solid, liquid, or .
a gas (Henderson par.
42).
par Humans principally detect the sound waves that travel through air, which .
are in turn collected by the ear.
quote .
s auricle. The auricle is the small ligament that connects the ear to the side .
of the head and its shape helps to collect sound. After the auricl.
e collects a sound wave, it passes through to the outer auditory canal, which .
in turn causes the eardrum to vibrate. This vibration of the eardrum is .
remitted through all three of the ossicles, or more commonly referred to as the .
hammer, the anvil, and th.
e stirrup. The eardrum acts as a ldblquote domino effect.
dblquote .
that causes the hammer to move, which then causes the anvil and the stirrup to .
move. While traveling through the path from the large area of the eardrum to .
the smaller area of the ossicles the vibration.
quote s ene.
rgy is amplified. When the vibrations reach the stirrup, it fluctuates in and .
out of the oval window which causes the fluids in the vestibular and tympanic .
canals to move. This activity of the fluids leads to an increased pressure .
which must be relieved b.
y the in and out motion of the oval window. The alteration in pressure values .
of the fluids then initiates the basilar membranelquote .
s movement. Next, small hair-like protuberances called corti are stimulated to .
cause sensory cells to transmit impulses through t.
he auditory nerve to the brain. The brain then verifies what type of sound is .
being heard, and this elaborate process is accomplished within a matter of .
seconds (Henderson par 43-46). .
par Now that you have a basic comprehension of how the human ear functions and .