Auditory System Flashcards
Describe the anatomical organization of the:
- Outer ear
- Middle ear
- Inner ear
Tympanum
What does it do? How does it contribute to the characteristics of sound we percieve?
aka ear drum
thin layer of tissue in human ear
receives sound virations from outer air and transmits them ossicles
Ossicles
What does it do? How does it contribute to the characteristics of sound we percieve?
tiny bones in the tympanic (middle ear) cavity
Oval and round windows
What does it do? How does it contribute to the characteristics of sound we percieve?
Oval: sound waves travel via hammer and anvil to the stirrup on the oval window; acts as an acoustic transformer
Round: allows fluid in cochlea to move; ensures hair cells of the basilar membrane will be stimulated & audition will occur
Basilar membrane
What does it do? How does it contribute to the characteristics of sound we percieve?
- endolymph.perilymph separation
- base for sensory cells
- frequency dispersion
- generating receptor potentials
Organ of Corti
What does it do? How does it contribute to the characteristics of sound we percieve?
How is frequency of incoming sound translated to movement of basilar membrane?
What’s the difference between inner and outer hair cells?
In terms of function
If outer hair cells are hyperpolarized by efferent input, what would be the effect on their length?
How does transduction work in inner hair cells?
How does sensory adaptation work in inner hair cells
Explain how tip link tension is adjusted by myosin motor action.
Draw it
Why is it useful to have the mechanosensitive channels associated with tip links be slightly open at rest?
What is:
Tonotopy
Explain how a cochlear implant works
Humans use spectral filtering to localize sound in the vertical plane
What is spectral filtering?
How is the external ear involved?
Draw medial superior olive circuit for ITD and lateral superior olive circuit for ILD, showing both sides
Trace response to sounds from one side and then again from a more media position.
Explain the concept of
Coincidence detection
Why do axonal diameter & large synapses in the MNTB matter for the ILD circuit?
How is it useful for a bat to be able to move its external ear?
What would be the consequence of putting prism glasses on an owl’s vision?
What happens to produce re-alignment?
