It is a well-known fact that different kinds of sounds are detected by our ears. On the basis of its structure, the human ear can be divided into three parts: external, middle and internal. Anything producing sound first vibrates. These vibrations set up a motion of sound waves in the medium through which the sound reaches our ear. The external ear has large surface and can receive maximum number of sound waves.
When the sound waves hit the external ear, they are transmitted to the middle ear through a pipe. The middle part has the eardrum which starts vibrating when these sound waves hit it. Just behind the eardrum there are three small bones called hammer, anvil and stirrup. As the eardrum vibrates, these bones also start vibrating. These vibrations are transmitted to the cochlea. The cochlea is the part of the inner ear which acts like a spring. It is surrounded by a fluid. The fluid has the nerve endings. Due to the vibrations of cochlea the fluid also starts vibrating and as such activates the nerve endings. The activation of the nerve endings produce impulses which are taken to the brain by the auditory nerve and we hear the sound.
Our ears can detect both feeble and intense sound with frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. In order to keep the ears healthy, it is essential to clean them regularly. A waxy substance is produced in it which gets deposited on the eardrum if it is not cleaned. If this wax accumulates there it can lead to deafness. Therefore, we should take care of our ears and consult the ENT experts as soon as there is trouble in the ears.