CHAPTER 11: Hearing Flashcards
define pitch and timbre in the context of auditory perception? How are they different and what affects them?
pitch: the quality of the sound ranging from low to high, that is mostly closely associated with the frequency of a tone
timbre: the quality that distinguishes between two tones that they sound different even thoguh they have the same loudness, pitch, and duration. Differences in timbre are illustrated by sounds made by different instruments. It is influencedy by harmonics, attack, and the decay of the sound.
How does phase locking contribute to pitch perception?
phase locking: the firing of neurons in synchrony with the phase of an auditory stimulus
describe the function of the middle ear, particularly the ossicles. What are the three ossicles called?
middle ear: a small air-filled space between the auditory canal and the cochlea that contains that ossicles. Amplifies sounds waves
ossicles: three bones in the middle ear that transmit vibrations from the outer ear to the inner ear.
Malleus, incus, stapes
describe the role of the outer ear, pinnae, auditory canal, and the tympanic membrane (ear drum)
outer ear: the outside of the ear that is made up of the pinnae and auditory canal
pinnae: the part of the ear that is visible on the outside of the head
auditory canal: the canal through through which the air vibrations travel from the environment to the tympanic membrane
tympanic membrane: a membrane at the end of the auditory canal that vibrates in response to vibrations of the air and transmits these vibrations to ossicles in the middle ear
the human hearing range typically falls between _____ Hz
200 to 2,000 Hz
what is the process by which the brain fills in missing fundamental frequencies in sound perception called?
periodicity pitch
what does the tonotopic map in the cochlea represent?
the frequency of sound waves
which part of the brain is responsible for processing pitch information?
temporal lobe
Explain Bekesy’s Place theory of hearing and how it relates to sound perception
Bekesy discovered how basilar membrane vibrates and discovered that the frequency of sound is indicated by the place on the organ of Corti that has the highest firing rate. He found that the basilar membrane vibrates from the apex, the end farthest from the middle ear, to the base, closest to the middle ear to the oval window.
explain the different types of hearing loss and how cochlear implants work
Presbycusis: a form of hearing loss that occurs as a function of age and is usually associated with a decrease in the ability to hear high frequencies. Is also related to exposure to environmental sounds
Noise induced hearing loss: a form of hearing loss that occurs when loud noises cause degeneration of the hair cells
cochlear implants: electrodes inserted into cochlear to electrically stimulate auditory nerve fibers. They are made up of a microphone worn behind the ear, a sound processor, a transmitter mounted on the mastoid bone, and a reciever surgically bound to the mastoid bone
explain organ of corti, and the major structures within it
organ of corti: a major structure of the cochlear partition, containing the basilar membrane, the tectorial membrane the receptors for hearing
basilar membrane: vibrates in response to sound and supports the organ of corti. It is a membrane that stretches the length of the cochlea and controls the vibration of the cochlear partition.
tectorial membrane: a membrane that stretches the length of the cochlea and is located directly over the hair cells. Vibrations of the cochlear partition cause the tectorial membrane to bend the hair cells by rubbing against them
explain the function and parts of the inner ear
inner ear: the innermost division of the ear, containing the cochlea and receptors for hearing
what is the difference between conductive hearing loss and sensory neural hearing loss?
conductive sensory hearing loss: damage to any part of the ear before the inner ear -> hearing aids will work well
sensory neural hearing long: damage to the hair cells, which cannot be fully repaired. Hearing aids will help to a certain extend, and cochlear implants are used to mimic the basilar membrane
