Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

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.

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.

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.

Action Potentials

Action Potentials

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The Role of Moral Incongruence in the Relationship Between Pornography Use, Moral Struggles, Sexual Shame, and Couple Satisfaction for Pornography Users in the USA.

Journal of religion and health·2025

Same author

Low energy magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerve - a simulation study.

Biomedical physics & engineering express·2023

Same author

Optimal pulse configuration for peripheral inductive nerve stimulation.

Biomedical physics & engineering express·2022

Same author

[VOTE versus ACLTE: comparison of two snoring noise classifications using machine learning methods].

HNO·2019

Same author

Temporal interaction in electrical hearing elucidates auditory nerve dynamics in humans.

Hearing research·2013

Same author

Activation of natural killer cells by hepatitis C virus particles in vitro.

Clinical and experimental immunology·2011

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

Published on: October 8, 2014

[Conversion of sound into auditory nerve action potentials].

J Encke¹, J Kreh¹, F Völk¹

¹Bioanaloge Informationsverarbeitung, Zentralinstitut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Deutschland.

|November 6, 2016

Summary

Outer hair cells are crucial for hearing amplification and frequency selectivity. Damage from noise exposure impairs these functions and auditory nerve fibers, a loss not detectable by standard hearing tests.

Keywords:

Auditory perception Cochlear hair cells Computer models Hearing loss Inner ear

More Related Videos

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

Published on: October 8, 2014

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

Area of Science:

Otoacoustic Emissions
Auditory Neuroscience
Hearing Science

Background:

Outer hair cells (OHCs) are vital for amplifying and sharpening auditory signals.
OHCs are susceptible to damage from noise, impacting hearing sensitivity and frequency resolution.
Damage to OHCs and associated auditory nerve fibers can occur without being detected by conventional audiometry.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the critical role of outer hair cells in hearing.
To explain the consequences of noise-induced damage to OHCs and auditory nerve fibers.
To emphasize the limitations of current diagnostic methods like pure-tone audiometry in detecting specific forms of hearing loss.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on outer hair cell function and noise-induced hearing loss.
Analysis of the mechanisms of amplification and frequency selectivity provided by OHCs.
Discussion of the impact of OHC damage on auditory nerve fiber function.

Main Results:

Outer hair cells provide up to 1000-fold amplification and enhance frequency selectivity in the auditory system.
Noise overexposure can damage OHCs, leading to reduced amplification and frequency resolution.
Delayed degeneration of low spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers, crucial for sound encoding in noise, results from noise exposure.
Pure-tone audiometry cannot diagnose this specific type of auditory nerve fiber loss.

Conclusions:

Outer hair cell function is essential for normal hearing, providing amplification and frequency tuning.
Noise-induced damage to OHCs and auditory nerve fibers results in significant hearing deficits.
Current diagnostic tools are insufficient to detect all forms of noise-induced hearing damage, necessitating further research into diagnostic methods.