Cochlear structures can be destroyed by invisible submicroscopic vibrations

Evidence

Figure 21.1 shows the gross anatomy of the outer, middle, and inner ear. The spiral cochlea of the inner ear (shown later as a in figure 21.7) houses a design of incredible delicacy (b to e)—so delicate, in fact, that audio frequency vibrations with amplitudes far too small to see can utterly destroy its function. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1921

Categorization

• XREF: The delicacy theme connects to how vulnerable hearing is — links to noise damage discussions throughout.