Journeys: Ears. Stop 3

The cochlea

This is the cochlea, a snail shell deep in the ear, unrolled. Its hairs hear sounds. Slide the bird along and find where they dance!

Pick up the bird with your finger, lift it onto the cochlea and slide it left and right!

A bird whistles high. Hairs near the entrance of the cochlea catch that sound.

A cat meows lower, and hairs further in hear it. Now pick up the cat!

An elephant trumpets even lower. Now pick up the elephant!

Here the hairs hardly move. Keep looking for where they dance the most.

Each hair hears its own sound and sends it along a nerve to the brain. If a loud noise breaks a hair, a new one never grows.