ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the anatomy of the ear and discusses relationships between noise exposure and hearing loss. It the needs of the ear and presents loudness measures. The bones of the middle ear are equipped with a muscular structure, which allows some control of the motion of the linkage, and thus transmission of sound to the inner ear. The oval window at the entrance to the liquid-filled inner ear is connected to a small vestibule terminating in the semicircular canals and cochlea. Motility of the outer hair cells provides the basis for undamping and active response. In turn, undamping provides the basis for stimulus amplification. From the point of view of the noise-control engineer interested in protecting the ear from damage, it is of interest to note what is lost by noise-induced damage to the ear. The outer hair cells are most sensitive to loud noise and may be damaged or destroyed before the inner hair cells suffer comparable damage.
