Hearing explained

When thinking about how our hearing works, it’s best to go back to the very first stage in the hearing process. All the sounds around us, whether they be voices, the media we watch and listen to, or other environmental noises, are first collected by the outer ear. Also known as the pinna or auricle, this is the part of the ear that is most visible to us. Its unique shape helps to funnel sound waves into the ear canal. 

On entry into the ear canal, sound waves are amplified and travel through to the eardrum. Also known as the tympanic membrane, the eardrum is a small, flexible membrane that separates the outer ear and the middle ear. Its primary function is to convert the sound waves transmitted through the air into vibrations after they enter the ear, but it also helps to protect the middle ear from bacteria, dirt and debris that may enter the ear.

When sound waves meet the eardrum, they cause the membrane to vibrate. The eardrum is quite sensitive and can detect sounds of all volumes, from whispers to stadium rock performances, with each making the eardrum vibrate in a unique way. These sound vibrations assist in the next step in the hearing process, setting the middle ear ossicles into motion.

Sometimes referred to as the auditory nerve, the acoustic nerve transports the electrical impulses generated by the hair cells to the brain. They travel along the nerve, through the brainstem and onto the auditory cortex. Once the impulses reach the auditory cortex, the brain interprets the messages it has received, translating them into the recognisable sounds we understand.