Final answer:
Transduction for hearing occurs in the cochlea, specifically the organ of Corti, where hair cells convert mechanical sound waves into electrical signals, which are then processed by the brain to be perceived as sound.
Step-by-step explanation:
The location where transduction for hearing takes place is in the cochlea. The actual site of transduction is within the organ of Corti (spiral organ) which contains hair cells that convert mechanical wave energy from sound into electrochemical signals. The organ of Corti rests on the basilar membrane located within the cochlear duct. As sound waves travel through the ear, they cause the basilar membrane to move, which in turn bends the hair cells' stereocilia. This bending opens ion channels and leads to the depolarization of the hair cell membrane, thereby generating an electrical signal that is transmitted to the cochlear nerve.
Inner hair cells serve as the primary auditory receptors and are responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. The outer hair cells function to enhance the precision of hearing by fine-tuning the sound waves.
After this initial processing in the cochlea, the electrical signals are sent to the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex via the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. Only after reaching the auditory cortex does the brain interpret these signals as sound.