Final answer:
During air conduction measurement, sound travels through the ear canal, vibrates the eardrum, is transmitted by the ossicles, and then sent to the cochlea. This process converts sound waves into neural signals that the brain can interpret.
Step-by-step explanation:
During air conduction measurement of the auditory pathway, sound is delivered through the structures of the ear, starting from the outer ear, through the middle ear, and finally reaching the inner ear.
The journey begins with the sound waves being collected by the auricle (pinna) which directs them into the ear canal. These sound waves then strike the tympanic membrane (eardrum), causing it to vibrate.
The vibrations from the eardrum are transmitted via the three ossicles of the middle ear—the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), and the stapes (stirrup). The stapes connects to the inner ear where the mechanical energy is transferred to the fluid-filled cochlea.
This energy causes the basilar membrane within the cochlea to move, which bends the hair cells, leading to the transduction of sound waves into neural signals that are conveyed to the brain via the vestibulocochlear nerve.