An important discovery has been made concerning the ear and its internal functioning. They have contributed to the understanding of the human auditory system.
Hearing is defined as the neural perception of sound energy.
These airborne sound waves must get to the inner ear for us to hear them. The acoustic energy in the air is then channelled into the fluid filled cochlea due to an impedance match. The cochlea forms the inner ear, a coiled tubular system found within the temporal bone. The organ of Corti lies on top of the basilar membrane, and contains hair cells. The inner hair cells connect to the cochlear nerve.