Hearing

The cochlea, a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear, contains sensory cells that convert sound waves into electrical signals.

The eardrum vibrates when sound waves hit it, transmitting these vibrations to the ossicles in the middle ear, which then transmit them to the cochlea.

The cochlea is part of the inner ear, not the middle ear. The middle ear consists of the malleus, incus, and stapes, which transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

The auditory nerve carries electrical signals from the cochlea to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.

The average human can hear sounds in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Normal hearing is not a type of hearing loss.

Earwax buildup is the most common cause of conductive hearing loss.

Aging is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of an external sound source.

Hyperacusis is the increased sensitivity to sound.

Otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear.

Ménière's disease is the condition in which the inner ear becomes filled with fluid.

Acoustic neuroma is the tumor that arises from the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain.

Perilymph fistula is the condition in which there is a leak of fluid from the inner ear into the middle ear.

Myringotomy is the surgical procedure in which a hole is created in the eardrum to improve hearing.