A journey into the human ear

The ear is one of the most amazing sensory organs in the human body. It enables us to perceive the world around us through sound and noises. From the outer pinna to the sensitive rows of hair cells in the inner ear, a complex and perfectly coordinated structure awaits us. But how exactly is the ear constructed? And how does human hearing work? Find out more below. 

The ear: more than just a shell

The pinna, the outer and visible part of our ear, is only a tiny part of the complex system that makes up our hearing organ. Its function is to pick up sound waves from the environment and guide them into the ear canal. The ear canal is a tube that is about 2.5 cm long and transports the sound waves received to the eardrum. In fact, the ear canal is crucial to our ability to hear directions by modifying sound differently depending on its direction.

The function of the eardrum in the middle ear

The eardrum is a thin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear and plays a crucial role in the transmission of sound waves. When sound waves hit the eardrum, it starts to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the ossicles.

The middle ear contains the smallest bones in our body, the ossicles: Malleus, incus and stapes. These tiny bones play an important role in the transmission and amplification of vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

Imagine the eardrum as a kind of trampoline on which the sound waves "bounce" to set the auditory ossicles in motion. This process is central to our ability to hear and allows us to acoustically experience the world around us.

The Eustachian tube: an important pressure equalizer

The Eustachian tube, also known as the Eustachian tube, is another essential component of the middle ear. It connects the middle ear with the pharynx and has the important function of equalizing the pressure between the middle ear and the external environment. Without this pressure equalization, which is particularly important when changing altitude (such as on an airplane), we would experience severe pain.

The inner ear

How sound waves become nerve impulses

Once the vibrations of the ossicles have reached the inner ear, the sound is converted into electrical signals. The inner ear comprises two main parts: the organ of balance and the cochlea or cochlea. Both are of crucial importance for our hearing and body perception.

The cochlea: the center of hearing

The cochlea is the actual organ of hearing and is shaped like a coiled snail. It is filled with a fluid called endolymph and contains countless sensory cells called hair cells.

The hair cells in the cochlea react to different frequencies, which enables us to distinguish between different sounds.

The movement of the fluid through the sound waves causes the hair cells to vibrate, which in turn triggers the conversion of mechanical signals into electrical signals.

Hair cells: Small, but essential for hearing

The hair cells are incredibly sensitive and can convert the vibrations into electrical signals through their movement. These signals are then sent via the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are perceived as sounds. This complicated process is at the heart of our ability to hear and allows us to experience speech, music and all the other sounds that surround us.

The organ of balance: maintaining balance thanks to the utriculus and sacculus

In addition to the cochlea, the inner ear also contains the organ of balance, which consists of the semicircular canals, the utriculus and the sacculus. It plays a crucial role in our perception of movement and spatial orientation.

The utriculus and sacculus are responsible for measuring linear movements, i.e. movements in a straight line. The semicircular canals on the other side are responsible for the perception of rotational movements. By combining these different signals, our brain can obtain precise information about the position and movement of our body in space.

The anatomy of hearing: Understanding and protecting

Human hearing is a complex and sensitive system. It can therefore be damaged quickly.

Hearing loss can be caused by noise, age, illness or injury. With knowledge of the anatomy of the ear, we can protect it better. This is because once hearing abilities are lost, they cannot usually be restored. It is therefore important to take the right measures to prevent hearing loss.

The protection of hearing: A question of awareness

Just as we protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays, we should also protect our hearing from potentially damaging influences. Here are some tips on how we can protect our hearing:

• Avoid loud sounds and noise whenever possible. Prolonged exposure to noise can permanently damage your hearing.
• Use hearing protection if necessary, for example at loud concerts or when working with loud machines.
• Listen to music and other media at an appropriate volume. High volumes can damage the hair cells in the inner ear.
• Have your hearing checked regularly to identify and treat any problems at an early stage.

Help with hearing loss

Hearing loss cannot always be avoided, especially if it is due to ageing, injury or certain illnesses. However, there are various solutions and aids that can help with hearing problems in everyday life. 

Hearing aids help to compensate for hearing loss. They enable people with hearing loss to participate in social life again and improve their communication skills.

The OSKAR TV hearing amplifier from faller audio helps those affected to finally understand the TV again by amplifying the sound of the TV and filtering out background noise so that dialog can be heard clearly and distinctly.