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Biological Psychology > 9 - Hearing, Vestibular Perception, Taste, and Smell > Flashcards

9 - Hearing, Vestibular Perception, Taste, and Smell Flashcards

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0
Q

External ear

A

The part of the ear that we readily see (the pinna) and the canal that leads to the eardrum

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1
Q

Transduction

A

The conversion of one form of energy to another

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2
Q

Pinna

A

The external part of the ear

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3
Q

Pure tone

A

A tone with a single frequency of vibration

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4
Q

Amplitude

A

The force sound exerts per unit area, usually measured as dynes per square centimeter

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5
Q

Loudness

A

The subjective experience of the pressure level of a sound

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6
Q

Frequency

A

The number of cycles per second in a sound wave, measured in hertz (Hz)

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7
Q

Hertz (Hz)

A

Cycles per second, as of an auditory stimulus

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8
Q

Pitch

A

A dimension of auditory experience in which sounds vary from low to high

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9
Q

Fundamental

A

The predominant frequency of an auditory tone or a visual scene

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10
Q

Harmonics

A

Multiples of a particular frequency called the fundamental

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11
Q

Timbre

A

The characteristic sound quality of a musical instrument, as determined by the relative intensities of its various harmonics

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12
Q

Fourier analysis

A

The analysis of a complex pattern into the sum of sine waves

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13
Q

Decibel (dB)

A

A measure of sound intensity

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14
Q

Middle ear

A

The cavity between the tympanic membrane and the cochlea

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15
Q

Ossicles

A

Three small bones (incus, malleus, and stapes) that transmit sound across the middle ear, from the tympanic membrane to the oval window

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16
Q

Tympanic membrane

A

Also called eardrum. The partition between the external ear and the middle ear

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17
Q

Oval window

A

The opening from the middle ear to the inner ear

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18
Q

Malleus

A

Latin for “hammer.” A middle-ear bone that is connected to the tympanic membrane

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19
Q

Incus

A

Latin for “anvil.” A middle-ear bone situated between the malleus and the stapes

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20
Q

Stapes

A

Latin for “stirrup.” A middle-ear bone that is connected to the oval window

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21
Q

Tensor tympani

A

The muscle attached to the malleus that modulates mechanical linkage to protect the delicate receptor cells of the inner ear from damaging sounds

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22
Q

Stapedius

A

A middle-ear muscle that is attached to the stapes

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23
Q

Inner ear

A

The cochlea and vestibular apparatus

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24
Q

Cochlea

A

A snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the primary receptor cells for hearing

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25
Q

Scala vestibuli

A

Also called vestibular canal. One of three principle canals running along the length of the cochlea

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26
Q

Scala media

A

Also called middle canal. The central of the three spiraling canals inside the cochlea, situated between the scala vestibuli and the scala tympani

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27
Q

Scala tympani

A

Also called tympanic canal. One of three principle canals running along the length of the cochlea

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28
Q

Round window

A

A membrane separating the cochlear duct from the middle-ear cavity

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29
Q

Organ of Corti

A

A structure in the inner ear that lies on the basilar membrane of the cochlea and contains the hair cells and terminations of the auditory nerve

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30
Q

Hair cell

A

One of the receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea

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31
Q

Basilar membrane

A

A membrane in the cochlea that contains the principle structures involved in auditory transduction

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32
Q

Inner hair cell (IHC)

A

One of the two types of receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea

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33
Q

Outer hair cell (OHC)

A

One of the two types of receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea

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34
Q

Stereocilium

A

A relatively stiff hair that protrudes from a hair cell in the auditory or vestibular system

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35
Q

Tectorial membrane

A

A membrane that sits atop the organ of Corti in the cochlear duct

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36
Q

Tip link

A

A fine, threadlike fiber that runs along and connects the tips of stereocilia

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37
Q

Cochlear amplifier

A

The mechanism by which the cochlea is physically distorted by outer hair cells in order to “tune” the cochlea to be particularly sensitive to some frequencies more than others

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38
Q

Otoacoustic emission

A

A sound produced by the cochlea itself, either spontaneously or in response to an environmental noise

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39
Q

Tuning curve

A

A graph of responses of a single auditory nerve fiber or neuron to sounds that vary in frequency and intensity

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40
Q

Vestibulocochlear nerve

A

Cranial nerve VIII, which runs from the cochlea to the brainstem auditory nuclei

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41
Q

Cochlear nuclei

A

Brainstem nuclei that receive input from auditory hair cells and send output to the superior olivary complex

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42
Q

Superior olivary nuclei

A

Brainstem nuclei that receive input from both right and left cochlear nuclei, and provide the first binaural analysis of auditory information

43
Q

Inferior colliculi

A

Paired gray matter structures of the dorsal midbrain that receive auditory information

44
Q

Medial geniculate nuclei

A

Nuclei in the thalamus that receive input from the inferior colliculi and send output to the auditory cortex

45
Q

Tonotopic organization

A

A major organizational feature in auditory systems in which neurons are arranged as an orderly map of stimulus frequency, with cells responsive to high frequencies located at a distance from those responsive to low frequencies

46
Q

Minimal discriminable frequency difference

A

The smallest change in frequency that can be detected reliably between two tones

47
Q

Place theory

A

A theory of frequency discrimination stating that pitch perception depends on the place of maximal displacement of the basilar membrane produced by a sound

48
Q

Volley theory

A

A theory of frequency discrimination that emphasizes the relation between sound frequency and the firing pattern of nerve cells

49
Q

Ultrasound

A

High-frequency sound; in general, above the threshold for human hearing, at about 20,000 Hz.

50
Q

Infrasound

A

Very low frequency sound; in general, below the threshold for human hearing, at about 20 Hz.

51
Q

Binaural

A

Pertaining to two ears

52
Q

Intensity differences

A

Perceived differences in loudness between the two ears, which can be used to localize a sound source

53
Q

Latency differences

A

Differences between the two ears in the time of the arrival of a sound, which can be employed by the nervous system to localize sound sources

54
Q

Duplex theory

A

A theory that we localize sound by combining information about intensity differences and latency differences between the two ears

55
Q

Coincidence detector

A

A device that senses the co-occurrence of two events

56
Q

Spectral filtering

A

Alteration of the amplitude of some, but not all, frequencies in a sound

57
Q

Monaural

A

Pertaining to one ear

58
Q

Amusia

A

A disorder characterized by the inability to discern tunes accurately

59
Q

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

A

A special use of MRI that takes advantage of the differences in how water molecules are constrained in myelin to reveal axonal tracts connecting brain regions

60
Q

Conduction deafness

A

A hearing impairment that is associated with pathology of the external-ear or middle-ear cavities

61
Q

Sensorineural deafness

A

A hearing impairment that originates from cochlear or auditory nerve lesions

62
Q

Ototoxic

A

Toxic to the ears, especially the middle or inner ear

63
Q

Tinnitus

A

A sensation of noises or ringing in the ears

64
Q

Central deafness

A

A hearing impairment that is related to lesions in auditory pathways or centers, including sites in the brainstem, thalamus, or cortex

65
Q

Word deafness

A

The specific inability to hear words, although other sounds can be detected

66
Q

Cortical deafness

A

A hearing impairment that is caused by a fault or defect in the cortex

67
Q

Cochlear implant

A

An electromechanical device that detects sounds and selectively stimulates nerves in different regions of the cochlea via surgically implanted electrodes

68
Q

Auditory brainstem implant (ABI)

A

A type of auditory prosthesis in which implanted microphones directly stimulate the auditory nuclei of the brainstem rather than the cochlea

69
Q

Semicircular canal

A

One of the three fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that are part of the vestibular system. Each of the tubes, which are at right angles to each other, detects angular acceleration

70
Q

Utricle

A

A small, fluid-filled sac in the vestibular system above the saccule that responds to static positions of the head

71
Q

Saccule

A

A small, fluid-filled sac under the utricle in the vestibular system that responds to static positions of the head

72
Q

Ampulla

A

An enlarged region of each semicircular canal that contains the receptor cells (hair cells) of the vestibular system

73
Q

Otolith

A

A small crystal on the gelatinous membrane in the vestibular system

74
Q

Lateral-line system

A

A sensory system, found in many kinds of fish and some amphibians, that informs the animal of water motion in relation to the body surface

75
Q

Cupula

A

A small gelatinous column that forms part of the lateral-line system of aquatic animals and also occurs within the vestibular system of mammals

76
Q

Vestibular nuclei

A

Brainstem nuclei that receive information from the vestibular organs through cranial nerve VIII (the vestibulocochlear nerve)

77
Q

Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

A

The brainstem mechanism that maintains gaze on a visual object despite movements of the head

78
Q

Motion sickness

A

The experience of nausea brought on by unnatural passive movement, as in a car or boat

79
Q

Sensory conflict theory

A

A theory of motion sickness suggesting that discrepancies between vestibular information and visual information simulate food poisoning and therefore trigger nausea

80
Q

Papilla

A

A small bump that projects from the surface of the tongue. Papillae contain most of the taste receptor cells.

81
Q

Taste bud

A

A cluster of 50-150 cells that detect tastes. Taste buds are found in papillae

82
Q

Taste pore

A

The small aperture through which tastant molecules are able to access the sensory receptors of the taste bud

83
Q

Tastant

A

A substance that can be tasted

84
Q

Circumvallate papillae

A

One of three types of small structures on the tongue, located in the back, that contain taste receptors

85
Q

Foliate papillae

A

One of the three types of small structures on the tongue, located along the sides, that contain taste receptors

86
Q

Fungiform papillae

A

One of three types of small structures on the tongue, located in the front, that contain taste receptors

87
Q

T1R

A

A family of taste receptor proteins that, when a particular members heterodimerize, form taste receptors for sweet flavors and umami flavors

88
Q

T2R

A

A family of bitter taste receptors

89
Q

Umami

A

One of the five basic tastes (along with salty, sour, sweet, and bitter), probably mediated by amino acids in foods

90
Q

Gustatory system

A

The taste system

91
Q

Pattern coding

A

Coding of information in sensory systems based on the temporal pattern of action potentials

92
Q

Labeled lines

A

The concept that each nerve input to the brain reports only a particular type of information

93
Q

Anosmia

A

The inability to smell

94
Q

Olfactory epithelium

A

A sheet of cells, including olfactory receptors, that lines the dorsal portion of the nasal cavities and adjacent regions, including the septum that separates the left and right nasal cavities

95
Q

Cilium

A

A hairlike extension

96
Q

Dendritic knob

A

A portion of olfactory receptor cells present in the olfactory epithelium

97
Q

Turbinates

A

Complex shapes underlying the olfactory mucosa that direct inspired air over receptor cells

98
Q

Olfactory bulb

A

An anterior projection of the brain that terminates in the upper nasal passages and, through small openings in the skull, provides receptors for smell

99
Q

Glomerulus

A

A complex arbor of dendrites from a group of olfactory cells

100
Q

Mitral cell

A

A type of cell in the olfactory bulb that conducts smell information from the glomeruli to the rest of the brain

101
Q

Pheromone

A

A chemical signal that is released outside the body of an animal and affects other members of the same species

102
Q

Vomeronasal system

A

A specialized chemical detection system that detects pheromones and transmits information to the brain

103
Q

Vomeronasal organ (VNO)

A

A collection of specialized receptor cells, near to but separate from the olfactory epithelium, that detect pheromones and send electrical signals to the accessory olfactory bulbs in the brain

104
Q

Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs)

A

A family of probable pheromone receptors produced by neurons in the main olfactory epithelium

Biological Psychology (11 decks)

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