- Earwax
The Human Ear and How We Hear
The human ear is an incredible and complex organ that not only allows us to perceive the world around us through sound, but also allows us to connect with our loved ones. In this article, The Hearing Room brings you through the different parts of the ear and how they work together to bring us the sounds we love and need.
The Outer Ear: The Sound Catcher
The outer ear, also known as the pinna or auricle, is the visible part of the ear that collects sound waves just like a funnel and directs them into the ear canal. An interesting tidbit: the human ear is able to distinguish the subtle time differences (milliseconds!) that a sound reaches each ear, allowing us to tell the direction the sound is emitted from.
The ear canal, also known as the external auditory meatus, is lined with tiny hairs and produces cerumen (earwax), which helps to protect the ear from dirt and bacteria.
The ear canal is slightly curvy with two bends, and ends at the tympanic membrane (the eardrum). This thin, delicate membrane — about 0.1 mm thick, thinner than a human hair — vibrates to the beat of sound waves and transmits sounds into the middle ear. Fun fact: despite its delicate nature, it can repair and clean itself!
The Middle Ear: The Sound Transmitter
The eardrum separates the ear canal from the middle ear — an air-filled space. The middle ear is responsible for the “blocked” sensation during atmospheric pressure changes, such as going up in a lift or in a plane. This sensation is caused by the difference in pressure between the ear canal and the middle ear air space.
Naturally, we know how to relieve this by swallowing or pinching our nose and blowing. This opens the Eustachian tube, which connects from the middle ear to the nasopharynx above our throat, allowing pressure to equalise.
The middle ear also contains the three tiniest bones of the human body — the ossicles (the malleus, incus, and stapes). This chain of bones receives sound vibrations from the eardrum, then amplifies and transmits them to the inner ear.
The Inner Ear: The Sound Converter
The inner ear, or cochlea, is a complex structure that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain via the auditory nerves. It consists of the hearing organ (the cochlea) and the balance organ called the vestibular system.
The cochlea is a snail-like organ lined with thousands of tiny hair cells that detect sound vibrations. Interesting fact: the cochlea is like a piano, with hair cells tuned to different frequencies, allowing us to detect a wide range of sounds! If unrolled, the cochlea would be about 35 mm long, with high-frequency sounds detected at the base and low-frequency sounds at the apex.
How It All Works Together
When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and vibrate the eardrum. These vibrations are transmitted through the ossicles to the inner ear, where they’re converted into electrical signals. The brain then interprets these signals as sound.
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Located on the third floor of The Adelphi, two minutes from City Hall MRT, with basement parking and lift access. Designed to feel like a quiet consultation room, not a retail showroom. Extensive evidence has shown that unaided hearing impairment can accelerate the onset of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. A timely assessment can make a meaningful difference — both for your quality of life and for your long-term cognitive health.
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Located on the third floor of The Adelphi, two minutes from City Hall MRT, with basement parking and lift access. Designed to feel like a quiet consultation room, not a retail showroom. Extensive evidence has shown that unaided hearing impairment can accelerate the onset of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. A timely assessment can make a meaningful difference — both for your quality of life and for your long-term cognitive health.
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Located on the third floor of The Adelphi, two minutes from City Hall MRT, with basement parking and lift access. Designed to feel like a quiet consultation room, not a retail showroom. Extensive evidence has shown that unaided hearing impairment can accelerate the onset of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. A timely assessment can make a meaningful difference — both for your quality of life and for your long-term cognitive health.
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