With sensory/neural hearing loss the ___________ is damaged and with conductive hearing loss the ___________ is dysfunctional.

In cases of sensory/neural hearing loss, the cochlea or auditory nerve is damaged, which affects the ability to transmit sound signals from the inner ear to the brain. This type of hearing loss can stem from issues such as hair cell damage within the cochlea or dysfunction within the auditory nerve itself, leading to a reduced ability to perceive sounds or distinguish between different pitches and volumes.

On the other hand, conductive hearing loss is characterized by dysfunction in the outer or middle ear. This form of hearing loss typically involves the mechanical transmission of sound being hindered, often due to blockages, perforations, or malfunctions of structures such as the ear canal, eardrum, or ossicles (the tiny bones in the middle ear). These structures are essential for conducting sound waves to the inner ear, and any issue that affects them can lead to difficulty in sound amplification before it reaches the cochlea.

Thus, the correct pairing of damaged structures for sensory/neural hearing loss and dysfunctional structures for conductive hearing loss is the cochlea/auditory nerve for the former and the outer/middle ear for the latter.