Auditory System

Structure

The structure and function of the human auditory system was first postulated by the physicist George Ohm more than 100 years ago. Dr. Ohm theorized that the auditory system’s main function was to translate complex sound material into highly specialized vibratory signals that could then be processed in the brain and recoded as recognizable entities. At a very basic level, the auditory system might be considered as being composed of three primary structures and their interconnections. The first of these is the ear, which itself is typically divided into three components. The outer or external ear is that which is visible, the pinna and the auditory meatus or ear canal which terminates at the tympanic membrane or ear drum. Next is the middle ear which primarily consists of a linked series of three small bones, the malleus, incus, and stapes, which act together as a system of levers. The former is attached to the tympanic membrane and the latter to the oval window of the inner...