Final answer:
The proper order of cellular steps involved in the response to sound is: Auditory nerve stimulation, neurotransmitter release, hair cell depolarization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The proper order of cellular steps involved in the response to sound is: D) Auditory nerve stimulation, neurotransmitter release, hair cell depolarization. When sound waves produce fluid waves inside the cochlea, the basilar membrane flexes, bending the stereocilia that attach to the tectorial membrane. Their bending results in action potentials in the hair cells, and auditory information travels along the neural endings of the bipolar neurons of the hair cells (collectively, the auditory nerve) to the brain. Finally, the hair cells release a neurotransmitter at a synapse with a sensory neuron, which then conducts action potentials to the central nervous system.