Audition Flashcards
Audition
The sense or act of hearing
Vestibular system
A sensory system that provides the brain with information about motion
Frequency
the number of cycles of a sound wave that occur per second
Hertz (Hz)
the unit of measurement for frequency
Pitch
the perceived highness or lowness of a sound
Intensity
the power of a sound wave
Pinna
the outer part of the ear that collects and directs sound waves into the auditory canal
Auditory canal
a tube-like structure that carries sound waves from the pinna to the tympanic membrane
Tympanic membrane
also known as the eardrum
Ossicle
a small bone in the middle ear that transmits sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear
Oval window
a membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear to the cochlea
Cochlea
a spiral-shaped
Outer ear
the external part of the ear
Middle ear
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea that contains the ossicles
Inner ear
the innermost part of the ear that contains the cochlea and vestibular system
Medial geniculate nucleus (MGN)
a relay station in the thalamus that processes auditory information before it reaches the auditory cortex
Primary auditory cortex (A1)
the region of the brain responsible for processing sound information
Eustachian tube
a passage that connects the middle ear to the throat and helps equalize air pressure
Attenuation reflex
a protective mechanism that reduces the transmission of loud sounds by tightening the middle ear muscles
Round window
a flexible membrane that allows movement of fluid within the cochlea
Basilar membrane
a structure in the cochlea that vibrates in response to sound and helps in frequency discrimination
Organ of Corti
the sensory organ in the cochlea that contains hair cells
Tectorial membrane
a structure within the cochlea that interacts with hair cells to facilitate sound transduction
Perilymph
a fluid in the cochlea that surrounds the membranous labyrinth and helps transmit sound vibrations
Endolymph
a potassium-rich fluid inside the cochlear duct that helps generate electrical signals in hair cells
Stria vascularis
a structure in the cochlea that maintains the composition of endolymph and generates the endocochlear potential
Endocochlear potential
the electrical potential difference between the endolymph and perilymph
Tonotopy
the spatial arrangement of where different frequencies of sound are processed in the cochlea and auditory cortex
Hair cells
sensory receptor cells in the cochlea that convert sound waves into electrical signals
Stereocilia
hair-like projections on hair cells that bend in response to sound waves
Inner hair cells
the primary sensory cells responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals
Outer hair cells
cells that amplify sound vibrations and enhance frequency selectivity
Spiral ganglion
a group of neurons that transmit auditory signals from the cochlea to the brain
Auditory–vestibular nerve
the nerve that carries auditory and balance information from the inner ear to the brain
Cochlear amplifier
a mechanism that enhances the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea
Dorsal cochlear nucleus
a brainstem structure that processes complex sound features
Ventral cochlear nucleus
a brainstem structure involved in the initial processing of auditory information
Superior olive
a brainstem region involved in sound localization by comparing input from both ears
Inferior colliculus
a midbrain structure that integrates auditory information and relays it to the thalamus
Characteristic frequency
the specific frequency to which a particular auditory neuron is most sensitive
Phase locking
the synchronization of neural firing to a particular phase of a sound wave
Volley principle
a mechanism where multiple neurons work together to encode high-frequency sounds
Duplex theory of sound localization
a theory stating that sound localization relies on interaural time differences for low frequencies and interaural level differences for high frequencies
Vestibular labyrinth
a set of interconnected structures in the inner ear responsible for balance and spatial orientation
Otolith organs
structures in the vestibular system that detect linear acceleration and head position
Semicircular canals
three fluid-filled canals that detect rotational movements of the head
Macula
a sensory region in the otolith organs that contains hair cells for detecting head position
Ampulla
a swelling in each semicircular canal that houses hair cells for detecting rotational movements
Vestibular nuclei
brainstem structures that process balance and motion information
Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
a reflex that stabilizes vision by coordinating eye movements with head movements
