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Hearing

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.

Hair Cells

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.

The Cochlea

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 Ear

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...

Auditory Pathway

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...

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Published on: March 18, 2013

The origin of spontaneous activity in the developing auditory system.

Nicolas X Tritsch¹, Eunyoung Yi, Jonathan E Gale

¹The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.

|November 2, 2007

Summary

Supporting cells in the developing cochlea release ATP, initiating auditory nerve activity before hearing. This ATP-mediated signaling refines brain tonotopic maps and ceases at hearing onset.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Published on: March 18, 2013

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

Published on: November 21, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Auditory System Development
Cellular Signaling

Background:

Spontaneous activity is crucial for auditory system development, neuronal survival, and tonotopic map refinement.
The mechanisms initiating auditory nerve firing before sound onset remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for spontaneous auditory nerve activity in the developing cochlea.
To investigate the role of supporting cells in initiating this pre-hearing neural activity.

Main Methods:

Utilized a developing rat cochlea model.
Investigated ATP release from supporting cells.
Examined the effects of ATP on inner hair cells and primary auditory neurons.

Main Results:

Supporting cells in the developing cochlea spontaneously release adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
ATP triggers depolarization of inner hair cells, leading to glutamate release.
This process initiates action potentials in primary auditory neurons, synchronizing neighboring inner hair cell output.
Spontaneous ATP-dependent signaling diminishes after hearing begins.

Conclusions:

Supporting cells initiate spontaneous electrical activity in auditory nerves prior to hearing.
ATP-mediated signaling plays a critical role in refining tonotopic maps.
Peripheral, non-sensory cells are essential for developing central auditory pathways.