Auditory Flashcards
What are the 3 parts of the ear?
Outer, middle, inner
What does the inner ear do?
Convert mechanical signals from middle ear into electrical signals, which can then be transferred to the auditory pathway in the brain
Maintains balance by detecting position and motion
What organs are in the inner ear?
Vestibulocochlear
What is in the external ear?
Auricle - main ear
External acoustic meatus
What is the external acoustic meatus?
Sigmoid shaped tube extending from deep part of concha to the tympanic membrane
Which bit is the middle ear? From…to…
Tympanic membrane to lateral wall of internal ear.
What is the function of the middle ear?
To transmit vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear
How does the middle ear transmit vibrations from tympanic membrane to inner ear?
3 bones of the ear
Name the 3 bones of the middle ear?
Malleus
Incus
Stapes
What does the cochlea do?
Converts sound pressure patterns from outer ear into electrochemical impulses
Which is passed to brain via auditory nerve
What does the vestibular apparatus do?
Works with visual system to keep objects in focus when head is moving
What is the organ of corti made of?
Mechanosensory (hair) cells
What does the organ of corti do?
Transduce auditory signals
Maximise hair cells extraction of sound energy
How does the organ of corti transmit an electrical signal from a vibration?
The stereocilia atop hair cells move with the displacement of cochlear fluid
This opens ion channels
Electrical signal sent through auditory nerve into auditory cortex of brain
Describe the auditory pathway.
E.COLI-MA’
- Eighth nerve
- Cochlear nuclei
- Olivary complex
- Lateral lemniscus
- Inferior colliculus
- Medial geniculate body
- Auditory cortex
