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Related Concept Videos

Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
The Auditory Ossicles01:11

The Auditory Ossicles

The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...

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Corrigendum: Characterizing Adult Cochlear Supporting Cell Transcriptional Diversity Using Single-Cell RNA-Seq: Validation in the Adult Mouse and Translational Implications for the Adult Human Cochlea.

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Characterizing Adult Cochlear Supporting Cell Transcriptional Diversity Using Single-Cell RNA-Seq: Validation in the Adult Mouse and Translational Implications for the Adult Human Cochlea.

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Temporal Bone Histopathology of First-Generation Cochlear Implant Electrode Translocation.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

The human auditory system: a timeline of development.

Jean K Moore1, Fred H Linthicum

  • 1Department of Histopathology, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, USA. jkmoore2@earthlink.net

International Journal of Audiology
|September 11, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The human auditory system develops structurally and functionally from embryonic stages through childhood. This maturation involves anatomical growth, physiological changes, and behavioral responses to sound, with potential impacts from early-life deafness.

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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
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Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve
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Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Published on: March 18, 2013

Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Audiology

Background:

  • The human auditory system undergoes complex development from conception through adolescence.
  • Understanding the timeline of auditory system maturation is crucial for identifying developmental milestones and potential disruptions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structural maturation of the human auditory system.
  • To correlate anatomical development with concurrent physiological and behavioral events.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on human auditory system development.
  • Comparison of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral data across developmental periods.

Main Results:

  • Embryonic period: Formation of basic structures (inner ear, brainstem, cortex).
  • Second trimester: Rapid cochlear growth, achieving adult-like configuration.
  • Perinatal period: Brainstem maturation, behavioral sound discrimination, development of brainstem and cortical potentials (N(2), mismatch negativity).
  • Early childhood (6 months-5 years): Maturation of thalamocortical projections and evoked potentials (Pa, P(1)).
  • Later childhood (6-12 years): Maturation of cortical layers, intracortical connections, N(1) potential, and linguistic discrimination.

Conclusions:

  • Auditory system development is a protracted process with distinct stages from embryonic formation to late childhood maturation.
  • The timing of anatomical, physiological, and behavioral auditory development is closely intertwined.
  • Sound deprivation due to deafness during critical developmental periods may have lasting negative effects.