American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Information For:

How Sound Affects the Inner Ear

Figure 1

Diagram 1
The outer ear gathers soundwaves and directs them through the ear canal.

 Figure 2

Diagram 2
Soundwaves vibrate the eardrum, where the ossicles (middle ear bones) transmit the vibrations the the inner ear.
Figure 3

Diagram 3
Inside the inner ear, the cochlea, a spiral structure, contains fluid and about 30,000 highly sensitive hair cells, which respond to frequency (pitch) and intensity (loudness) of sound.

 Figure 4

Diagram 4
Three rows of outer hair cells and one row of inner hair cells are connected to nerve fibers that translate sound as electrical signals to the brain.
Figure 5

Diagram 5
Normal hair cells.

 Figure 6

Diagram 6
Hair cells as they appear after permanent damage by excessive intensity or loudness of sound.

For further information please contact Doug Plesh at 301-296-8730 or by e-mail at dplesh@asha.org.

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