Q.Describe briefly how the ear converts sound vibrations into a nerve impulse that can be interpreted by the brain.

[!TLDR] Sound waves vibrate the eardrum → ossicles amplify the vibration → oval window → cochlear fluid moves → hair cells in the organ of Corti are stimulated → auditory nerve → auditory cortex (perceived as sound). [!ANSWER] Eardrum vibrates → ossicles amplif …

Sound waves collected by the pinna travel down the external auditory canal and strike the tympanic membrane (eardrum), causing it to vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted and mechanically amplified by the chain of three ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) in the middle ear, which pass the amplified vibration on to the oval window of the inner ear. This sets the fluid within the coiled cochlea in motion, and the resulting fluid movement stimulates specialised hair cells within the organ of Corti, converting the mechanical vibration into a nerve impulse. This impulse travels along the auditory (cochlear) nerve to the au …

Trace the conversion in three stages: sound wave → mechanical vibration (eardrum/ossicles) → fluid movement (coch …

Do not skip the ossicles' amplifying role — without their lever action, the vibration passed to the much smaller oval window wo …