Theories of Hearing: A New Sub Molecular Perspective

The travelling wave theory was proclaimed by Georgy von Bekesy (1899-1972) in 1928. The author attempted to explain physiological processes by means of physics and mechanics alone. Bekesy's successors tried to modernise this theory. Not much attention has been paid to complex molecular processes in the receptor and auditory cells. This paper specifies certain fallacies of the travelling wave theory. Specific focus is given to mechanisms on a sub-molecular level related to the hearing process. The significance of transformations taking place in an auditory cell is emphasised. The essence of the new theory lies in a hypothesis of a changed pathway a sound wave takes to reach the receptor. The signal is transferred from the auricle, through the ossicles of the middle ear and the stapes to the receptor via the bony pathway. The study presents nanostructures and nano-processes related to the reception and processing of auditory information. Hence, the theory has been named the sub-molecular theory of hearing.