Sound is directed to the ear canal by the Pinna, or Outer Ear. The signal then travels through the ear canal, vibrates the ear drum (tympanic membrane) and moves the chain of three bones (Incus, Malleus, Stapes) in the Middle Ear. The movement of the Stapes sets in motion the fluid in the cochlea (Inner Ear) which stimulates tiny hair cells (nerve cells) converting the sound waves to an electrical signal, sending it to the brain along the Auditory Nerve. For more information, click on this link, Journey of Sound , to see this short video on the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) web page. The normal hearing range for children is considered to be 15dB and below as measured on an audiogram. Most people think that the ears are responsible for hearing, but the ears are the doorway to hearing because hearing is processed in the brain.
