In this chapter you will learn
 

• What the auditory (hearing) mechanism consists of and how it works
• How the brain processes sounds, from pure tones to speech
• Which brain structures account for language ability
• The causes of some of the major language disorders
• What we know about language abilities in nonhuman animals

Chapter 9 begins the sensation and perception section of the text with a discussion of the auditory system and its involvement in language.  First, the ear is described, with detailed discussion of the parts of how the auditory system converts sound from vibrating air molecules to a train of electrical signals in the brain. Frequency analysis and sound localization are then discussed with an emphasis on the neural mechanisms involved in these phenomena. The chapter then discusses the neural bases of language in both humans and animals. The areas responsible for comprehension and production of language are introduced, along with the associated aphasias that result from damage to the language centers of the brain. The chapter concludes with an examination of language in non-humans and the genetic and anatomical antecedents of language in animals.