Auditory system

The sensory system that detects sound and processes it through the ears, auditory nerves, and brain. It supports hearing and helps locate sounds.

Outer ear: The visible ear and ear canal, which collect and direct sound toward the eardrum. It gathers incoming sound before vibrations reach the middle ear.
Sound: A mechanical disturbance that travels through a medium as pressure waves. Sound waves provide the physical input that the auditory system detects.
Sound localization: The ability to determine the direction and distance of a sound source. The system compares timing and level cues from the two ears to locate sounds.
Vestibular system: The sensory system that detects head motion and orientation and supports balance. It shares the inner ear with hearing but detects motion rather than sound.
Middle ear: The air-filled space containing the eardrum and three small bones that transmit vibrations to the inner ear. Its bones amplify and transfer eardrum motion toward the cochlea.
Frequency: The number of cycles of a repeating wave per unit time, measured in hertz. Sound frequency is a major cue to perceived pitch.
Speech perception: The process of interpreting spoken language from acoustic signals. Auditory processing extracts speech sounds despite variation and background noise.
Vision: The sensory system that detects light and constructs information about the visual environment. It provides a useful comparison between acoustic and visual sensory processing.
Cochlea: The spiral-shaped inner-ear organ that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals. Its fluid and sensory cells begin converting sound into neural signals.
Amplitude: The maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position. Sound amplitude contributes to perceived loudness.

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