Exemplar Problems

Question:

How does the sense of hearing work, and what are the main structures involved?

Answer:

Hearing involves the external ear (pinna and auditory canal), middle ear (tympanic membrane and ossicles), and inner ear (cochlea). Sound waves enter the ear canal, vibrate the eardrum, and are transmitted through the ossicles to the cochlea. Hair cells in the cochlea convert the vibrations into electrical signals, which are transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve and processed in the auditory cortex.