Which pathway does sound travel through after being collected by the auricle?

The pathway sound travels through after being collected by the auricle begins with the external auditory canal, where it then reaches the tympanic membrane (eardrum). From there, the sound vibrations are transmitted through the ossicles, which are three tiny bones in the middle ear known as the malleus, incus, and stapes. These bones amplify the sound vibrations and convey them to the oval window of the cochlea, where the process of translating these vibrations into neural signals begins.

Choosing the pathway through the ossicles is correct because it directly reflects a vital part of the auditory system's function. The ossicles play a crucial role in efficiently transferring sound waves from the air into the fluid-filled cochlea, where the sensory cells are located. This pathway is essential for hearing, as it significantly boosts the mechanical energy of sound before the signal reaches the inner ear.

The other options, while related to the auditory process, do not represent the immediate pathway after sound is collected by the auricle. The cochlea is part of the next stage after the ossicles, CN8 (cochlear nerve) depolarization refers to the transmission of signals from the cochlea to the brain, and the thalamus acts as a relay station before