抄録
Hearing is an essential sensation for creatures including human. Sounds from outside are propagated through the external and middle ears and reach the cochlea of the inner ear. The cochlea transduces the mechanical energy of the sounds to the electrical signal and transmits it to the brain. Of importance, this organ accurately discriminates a variety of different frequencies of sounds. In these processes, a biological Fourier analyzer and a piezoelectric element play pivotal roles. In this paper, I will introduce the structure and function of the cochlea that is a state-of-the-art device of biomedical engineering.
