auditory system Flashcards
do vestibular organs capture low or high freq motion?
they capture low frequency motion (movements)
do hearing organs capture high or low freq motion?
high frequency motion (sound)
evolution of cochlea and canals
statocyst, utriculus, sacculus, - 1) cochlea 2) canals
what is frequency/ pitch and units
Hz, number of cycles per second, perceived: tone
what is amplitude/ loudness? units?
dB, Sound pressure, subjective attribute: correlated with physical strength.
human range of hearing in hz and db
20-20,000 Hz
20-120 dB (SPL- sound pressure level)
outer ear functions
CAPTURE sound AND focus sound to the tympanic membrane
MODEST (10Db) amplification of upper range speech frequencies by resonance in the canal
protect inner from external threats
MAIN function of middle ear
mechanical amplification (can provide an additional 20-30dB)
components of the middle ear?
tympanic membrane
ossicles
muscles
oval window
round window
auditory tube
order of the ossicles
malleus, incus, stapes
MAL-I-STA
What is the cochlea (generic)
The hearing part of the inner ear
What are the muscles of the middle ear? (In order from outer to inner)
Tensor tympani muscle- one end attatched to tympanic memb
Stapedius muscle - one end on stapes
What is the function of the cochlea
Transduce vibrations into nervous impulses
What two features of sound does the cochlea successfully transduce into nerve signals?
Frequency and intensity
What structure forms the oval window?
The stapes
What part of the ear is cochlea in?
Inner
If you picture the cochlea as a sandwitch with the stapes on the left (left open- pointy on right)
Which are the 3 compartments of the cochlea?
From top to bottom:
1) scala vestibuli
2) scala media
3) scala tympani
Which chochlear components are bony and which are membranous? What does this mean/ what is the structure of these components?
Top and bottom: scala vestibuli and tympani equivalently are bony and contain perilymph
Scala media: membranous and contains endolymph
What element is the endolymph rich in?
Potassium
What element is the perilymph rich in?
Sodium
What window (oval and round) “attaches” to what scala and what is the direction of the signal?
Oval window to scala vestibuli, signal moves into endolymph and throught the perilymph is transferred to scala tympani to meet the round window
Is the organ of corti a hearing or vestibular organ?
Hearing
Where is the organ of corti located?
ON the basilar membrane of the scala media
What is the name of the membrane of the scala media when it touches the scala vestibuli and when the scala tympani
Vestibular membrane
Vs
Basilar membrane
Which side is base and which is apex of basilar memb and what are its structural features?
Base: near stapes, tight: thick and narrow
Apex: wide (thin) and loose
(miazeime trifti tiriou in pyramid shape with the stapes being the handle and the only addition is that the NARROW part is THICK)