Processing Sound

How does the body hear and interpret sound?

Hearing (the process of translating noise into sound) and interpretation is broken down into 4 key stages. The process of sound interpretation:

The ear. https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53241-How-we-hear-explainer-hearing

1. Sound waves enter the ear. Vibrations enter through the outer ear and it's funnel-like shape filters and amplifies sound waves, directing them through he ear canal to the eardrum which is then set in motion.
2. Movement through the middle ear. The eardrum is attached to a chain of three small bones, known as the ossicles and when the eardrum vibrates in response to sound waves, these bones are set into motion as well. The orientation of ossicles allows them to function as a lever, amplifying the sound energy as it moves from the relatively large tympanic membrane to the relatively small oval window.
3. Movement through the inner ear. Vibrations pushing on the oval window set up pressure waves in the fluid-filled cochlea, that contains the organ of Corti. In the organ of Corti, vibrations are finally transformed into electrical energy. The tiny hair cells lining the cochlea are stimulated by different frequencies.
4. The brain interprets the signal. Once sound is converted to electrical signals in the cochlea, these signals travel via a complex circuit of auditory nerve pathways to the auditory cortex and other parts of the brain that regulate awareness and sensory perception. Sensory neurons, transmit the sound information to various areas of the brain, including the thalamus, temporal lobe, and auditory cortex and these are known as the auditory pathways.

Note - Deafness: Many people with hearing loss have high-frequency hearing loss, making it harder to hear high-pitched sounds. This means the hair cells responsible for detecting high frequencies are damaged. Loud sounds can damage or even destroy them, and once they’re destroyed, they can’t be repaired.

How parts of the brain processes sound and music?

The brain interprets sound signals once sound is converted to electrical signals, and transmitted vis sensory neurons to the thalamus, temporal lobe and the auditory cortex.

The thalamus is located between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain and its primary function is to relay motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex.

The temporal lobes sit behind the ears and are the second largest lobe. They are most commonly associated with processing auditory information and with the encoding of memory. They are also believed to play an important role in processing emotions, language, and certain aspects of visual perception.

The dominant temporal lobe, which is the left side in most people, is involved in understanding language and learning and remembering verbal information. The non-dominant lobe, which is typically the right temporal lobe, is involved in learning and remembering non-verbal information (e.g. visuo-spatial material and music).

The auditory cortex provides the temporal and spatial frames of reference for the auditory data that it receives. In other words, it is sensitive to aspects of sound more complex than frequency.

Lateral

Sagittal