Slide show: How you hear

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An auditory wonder

Your ears appear to be relatively simple structures. But they are, in fact, only part of the complex auditory system — passageways, vibrating structures, nerves and specialized areas of the brain that work together to gather and interpret sound.

In people with normal hearing, the ears can detect a child's whisper or a crack of thunder, the single call of a songbird or the entire range of instruments in an orchestra.

Take a look at the structures of the auditory system, and discover how it makes sense of the sounds around you.

1. Oghalai JS, et al. Anatomy and physiology of the ear. In: Lalwani AK. Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2829508. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
2. Chien W, et al. Physiology of the auditory system. In: Cummings CW, et al. Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00130-0&isbn=978-0-323-05283-2&type=bookPage&sectionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00130-0&uniqId=235465806-5#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05283-2..00130-0. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.