Otoacoustic emission

When you hear sounds like birds chirping or music playing, your ears are actually doing a lot of work! Inside your ear, there are tiny hairs that help you hear different frequencies (or pitches) of sound.

When some special cells in your ear (called outer hair cells) get stimulated by sound, they can make their own little sounds called otoacoustic emissions. Kind of like when you play with a rubber band and it makes a twangy sound, these cells make a quiet sound that can be measured by a special machine.

Doctors and scientists can use this machine to listen to the sounds your ears make, and it can help them figure out if you have any problems with your hearing or if you might need special help to hear better. So next time you're listening to your favorite music, remember that there's a little sound show going on inside your ears too!