The document summarizes the anatomy and physiology of the human ear. It is divided into four main parts: the outer, middle and inner ear, as well as the central auditory nervous system. Sound waves enter the outer ear and cause the tympanic membrane to vibrate, transmitting the vibrations through a chain of small bones called ossicles in the middle ear. This causes fluid in the inner ear's cochlea to move, shearing hair cells that generate electrical signals to the brain via the auditory nerve. The brain interprets these signals as sound.