hearing

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Introduction References & Edit History

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The five basic human senses.

distribution of frequencies along the basilar membrane of the cochlea

mechanism of hearing; human ear

Know about the rich history and technological advancement of the audiology department at the Northwestern University's Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

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Nuthatch. nuthatch and creeper. bird. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) a small songbird in mid-winter. Near Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, Canada.

How Do Birds Hear?

Discover

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

Solar eclipse of the sun.

The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

Adolf Hitler (Nazi, nazism, German leader).

9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler

Artist interpretation of a Space meteoroid impact. Meteor impact. Asteroid, End of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Planet Earth, Doomsday Predictions, comet

10 Failed Doomsday Predictions

Still from the film Deliverance, 1919. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. View shows Keller in the cockpit/front seat of an airplane.

How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?

Science & Tech

hearing

sense

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Also known as: audition

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Key People:: Georg von Békésy; Harvey Fletcher; Eric Zepler

Related Topics:: binaural effect; endocochlear potential; Ohm’s law of hearing; threshold of hearing; sound localization

hearing, in biology, physiological process of perceiving sound. See ear; mechanoreception; perception; sound reception.