Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: engrByDayPianstByNight on 11/10/2009 00:21:12

Title: How do human eyes and ears receive visual/audio signals?
Post by: engrByDayPianstByNight on 11/10/2009 00:21:12

Hi,

    I'm hoping someone on this forum can give me some tutorial (both online and off) on how human eyes and ears receive visual and audio signals from the outside world. I'm very new on this, and so would like to read something elementary to begin with. Thanks.

Title: How do human eyes and ears receive visual/audio signals?
Post by: Dimi on 11/10/2009 23:10:28

I've always wondered that much myself!

From what I gathered, the eyes and ears convert everything into an electrical signal and sends that to the brain which it interprets. Anymore than that and I wouldn't have a clue :)

Title: How do human eyes and ears receive visual/audio signals?
Post by: Nizzle on 13/10/2009 09:29:03

In short:

For eyes, there's a conversion from chemical reaction energy (light induced reactions) in the retina to electrical signals that go to the optical nerves.

For ears, there's a conversion of mechanical energy (air movement of sound waves) in the middle ear bones and other small parts to electrical signals to the auditory nerves

A bit of google will get you far...

Title: How do human eyes and ears receive visual/audio signals?
Post by: engrByDayPianstByNight on 13/10/2009 20:48:04

Thanks. Yes, I've been doing some search on google and have gotten some ideas.

Here's a more focused question. In the inner ear, does the research community have any kind of system model from the input (i.e., the vibrations from the stapes) to the output (i.e., electrical signals induced by the microscopic hair cells in the cochlea)?

Thanks.