4) Hearing, Smell, Taste Flashcards
Sound
A vibration or mechanical energy travelling through a medium
Produced by mechanical disturbance (vibrating molecules)
describe the binaural vs monaural cues
cues that detect source of sound
binaural
- most used, compare time & loudness difference between ears
monaural
- clear vs muffled sounds
Pitch
frequency of wave (hertz)
Age matters! Younger people more sensitive to higher pitches
Loudness
amplitude of wave (dB)
louder = more mechanical disturbance
Timbre
quality / complexity of a sound
evident in diff music instruments
describe the structure of our ear
- Outer
- pinna
- ear canal
Eardrum
- Middle
- ossicles - Inner
- cochlea
(organ of corti + basilar membrane)
Outer Ear
funnels sound waves into eardrum
Pinna: cartilage we see
Ear canal
Middle Ear
Ossicles: tiny bones called malleus, incus, stapes
(hammer, anvil, stirrup)
Vibrates at frequency of sound wave to transmit from eardrum -> inner ear
Inner Ear
Cochlea converts vibrations -> neural activity
= transduction
- bony spiral w/ fluid inside
- contains organ of corti & basilar membrane
Organ of Corti
in cochlea
tissue containing hair cells necessary for hearing
Basilar membrane
membrane in cochlea supporting organ of corti + hair cells
How does transduction happen for hearing?
in hair cells in cochlea
convert info -> action potentals
Hair cells have cilia (hair-like stuff) sticking in fluid of cochlea
Pressure from sound deflect cilia, excites hair cells -> auditory nerve
What are the theories of pitch perception?
Place
Frequency
Volley
Place theory
Specific place along basilar membrane & auditory cortex matches a tone with specific pitch
Base = more sensitive to high pitch
Only accounts for HIGH PITCHES
Frequency theory
Rate that neurons fire reproduces pitch
0 - 100Hz (maximal firing rate)