Audition Flashcards
Audition
The sense of sound - requires a pressurised sound wave (stimulus) and a hair cell (receptor)
Sound waves
Areas of high and low pressure in the air that have wave-like properties
Pinna
Outer ear
External Auditory Meatus
Ear canal
Tympanic Membrane
Eardrum
Ossicles
The three bones of the middle ear: malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), stapes (stirrup)
Oval Window
Also known as the elliptical window; attached to the stapes; vibration causes fluid on the other side to move and displace
Cochlea
The snail-shaped structure of the middle ear containing fluid; it is the site where the auditory signal becomes electrical signals
Organ of Corti
An organ in the cochlea that is responsible for sound modulation; it contains the basilar and tectorial membranes that split the cochlea into two
Auditory Nerve
The nerve that transports auditory signals to the brain
Place Theory of Hearing
Perception of sound depends on where the frequency produces vibrations along the basilar membrane. In other words, different sound waves trigger activity at different places along the basilar membrane
Outer ear
The pinna and external auditory meatus
Middle Ear
The ossicles
Inner Ear
Cochlea, organ of corti, and semicircular canals
Hair bundle
A structure in the cochlea that is composed of filaments called kinocillium
Auditory Processing
The process by which the brain interprets signals from the cochlea
Basilar Tuning
Certain wavelengths activate certain areas of the cochlea. High frequencies activate closer to the base; lower frequencies activate closer to the apex
Tonotopical Mapping
The ability of the brain to distinguish different frequencies based off of basilar tuning
Primary Auditory Cortex
A section of the temporal lobe that receives all auditory input and processes them
Sensory Narrow Hearing Loss
Nerve deafness that can be corrected with a cochlear implant (invovles the use of a transmittor that sends to a receiver which sends signals to the stimulator)
Frequency Theory of Hearing
Our perception of sound is dependent on how fast the nerve cells in the cochlea fire. Faster firing => greater pitch
