How is transduction in the ear accomplished?
In layman’s terms: Sound enters the ear via the pinna (outer ear that we see), it travels to the tympanic membrane however the sound wave encounters some problems… sound waves can more easily pass through air than the watery inside of the cochlea. Thus, we have the incus, malleus and stapes (also called hammer, anvil, etc) to amplify the sound wave against the oval window of the cochlea. Once the sound reaches the cochlea it causes vibrations in the basilar membrane and depending on where on the basilar membrane experiences the most vibration (close or far from the oval window) it will be percieved as a certain frequency or pitch of sound. This sensation is transmitted to the brain as there are hairs connected to/stimulated by the basilar membrane and this is transmitted via the auditory nerve. The basilar membrane is more important in the sensation of different sound frequencies than the hair themselves. There has been a common misperception that different hairs vibrate depending on
