Which lists the correct order of events leading to a sound being "heard" by a person? 1. The fluid-filled inner ear moves hair cells, which send signals to the brain. 2. The eardrum vibrates at the frequency of the sound waves entering the ear. 3. The bones of the middle ear, which are attached to the eardrum, start to move, pushing on the oval window. A. 2, 3, 1 B. 1, 2, 3 C. 2, 1, 3

Hearing is the transduction of sound waves into a neural signal that relies on the structures of the ear. The outwardly visible structure that is often referred to as the ear is more correctly referred to as the outer ear (external ear), or the auricle. The C-shaped curves of the auricle direct sound waves towards the ear canal, which enters into the skull through the external auditory meatus of the temporal bone. At the end of the ear canal is the tympanic membrane, or ear drum, which vibrates with the movement of air in sound waves.

The middle ear consists of a space spanned by three small bones, the ossicles, which amplify the movements of the tympanic membrane. These small bones are the malleus, incus, and stapes, which are Latin names that roughly translate to hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The malleus is attached to the tympanic membrane and articulates with the incus, which articulates with the stapes. The stapes is then attached to the inner ear where the sound waves will be transduced to a neural signal.