What does the outer ear not do?
does it transform sound or does it deal with high frequencies
It does neither of the two you mentioned unless you define transform differently that I do. The outer ear collects sound to funnel it into the inner ear.
From Google:
The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is the external portion of the ear, which consists of the auricle (also pinna) and the ear canal. It gathers sound energy and focuses it on the eardrum (tympanic membrane).
The outer ear, also known as the pinna or auricle, is the visible part of the ear located outside the head. Its main function is to collect sound waves from the environment and funnel them into the ear canal. However, the outer ear does not actually transform sound or specifically deal with high frequencies.
To understand how the outer ear works, it's important to know that sound travels in the form of waves. When a sound wave enters the outer ear, it is captured by the shape and structure of the pinna. The pinna helps in localizing the direction of the sound source, as it captures sound from different angles. As a result, the sound waves are channeled into the ear canal.
Once the sound waves reach the ear canal, they travel towards the middle ear, where the transformation and amplification of sound occur. Inside the middle ear, the eardrum vibrates in response to the incoming sound waves. This vibration is then transmitted to the tiny ossicles (bones) called the malleus, incus, and stapes, which amplify and transmit the sound further into the inner ear.
In the inner ear, specifically the cochlea, the sound waves are transformed into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. This is where the brain processes the different frequencies of sound, including high frequencies.
So, to sum up, the outer ear does not transform sound or specifically deal with high frequencies. Its primary role is to collect and direct sound waves into the ear canal to facilitate the further processing of sound within the middle and inner ear.