Chapter 6 Flashcards
Intensity/Frequency
Intensity=measured in decibels dB, amplitude measured in dynes per square centimeter
Frequency=measured in cycles per seconds or hertz Hz
Pure Tone
Tone with a single frequency of vibration
Fundamentals/harmonics
Fundamental=predominant frequency of an auditory tone
Harmonic=multiple of a particular frequency
Transduction
conversion of mechanical sound into neural activity
Pinna
Fleshy object called the ear
Ear Canal
“auditory canal” which is the tube leading from the pinna to the tympanic membrane
Inner ear/middle ear
Middle ear=contains the Ossicles (Malleus, Incus, Stapes), Tympanic membrane and the oval window
Inner ear=contains the cochlea
Ossicles
Three small bones (malleus “hammer”, incus “anvil”, stapes”stirrup”) transmit vibrations across the middle ear.
Tympanic Membrane
“eardrum” partition between external ear and middle ear
Oval window
opening from middle ear to inner ear
Cochlea
Snail shaped structure in inner ear, contains primary receptor cells for hearing
Scala Vestibuli/Scala media/Scala Tympani
Scala Vestibuli=vestibular canal
Scala Media=middle canal between vestibuli and tympani
Scala Tympani=tympanic canal
Round Window
Membrane separating the tympanic canal from the middle ear
Organ of Corti
Structure in inner ear that lies on the basilar membrane of the cochlea. contains hair cells and terminations of the auditory nerve
Hair Cells
Receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea, named for the stereocillia that protude from the top of the cell. Transduce vibrational energy in the cochlea to neural activity.
Inner Hair Cells=provide perception of sounds
Outer Hair Cells=convey information to the brain about mechanical state of the basilar membrane
Basilar Membrane
Membrane in the cochlea that contains the principal structures involved in auditory transduction
Cochlear Nucleus
Left and right side of the brain stem that receive input from auditory hair cells and send output to the superior olivary nuclei
Superior Olivary Nucleus
Either of two brainstem nuclei, left and right, receive input from both right and left cochlear nuclei and provide the first binaural analysis of auditory information
Inferior Colliculi
Paired gray matter structures of the dorsal midbrain that process auditory information
Medial Geniculate Nucleus
Left or right also, in the thalamus which receives input from the inferior colliculi and send output to auditory cortex
Tonotopic Organization
major organization feature in auditory system which neurons are arranged as an orderly map of stimulus frequency
Primary Auditory Cortex (A1)
“A1” Corticle region, located on the superior surface of the temporal lobe, that processes complex sounds transmitted.
Place Coding
Frequency discrimination in which the pitch of a sounds is determined by location of activated hair cells.
Temporal Coding
Frequency discrimination in which the pitch of a sound is determined by the rate of firing of auditory neurons
Intensity Difference
Perceived difference in loudness between two ears, nervous system can use to localize a sound source
Latency Difference
Difference between the two ears in the time of arrival of a sound, can be used by the nervous system to localize a sound source
Spectral Filtering
Process by which hills and valleys of the pinna alter the amplitude of some but not all frequencies.
Tastes vs flavors
Tastes=salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami
Flavors=involve a sense of smell
Pillae and Tastebuds
Pillae=small bump that increases surface area of tongue
Tastebuds=cluster of 50-150 cells that detect tastes, found on edges of the papillae
T1R
Family of taste receptor proteins that form test receptors for sweet and umami flavors
T2R
Family of bitter taste receptors
Gustatory System
Taste projection from tongue to several brainstem nuclei, then the thalamus, and ultimately to the gustatory regions of the somatosensory cortex.
Odor
Sensation of smell
Olfaction
Sensory system that detects smell
Anosmia
Inability to detect odors
Olfactory epithelium
sheet of cells including olfactory receptors that lines the dorsal portion of the nasal cavities and adjacent regions
Olfactory Bulb
anterior projection of the brain that terminates in teh upper nasal passages and through small openings in the skull. Provides receptors for smell.
Glomerulus
Complex arbor of dendrites from a group of olfactory cells. They are each specific to one class of odor receptors
Pheromone
Chemical signal that is released outside the body of an animal that affects members of the same species. A secondary chemical detection system is found in lower mammals
Vomeronasal System
Specialized sensory system that detects pheromones and transmits information to the brain
Vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Colleciton of specialized receptor cells, near to but separate from the olfactory epithelium that detects pheromones and send signals to accessory olfactory bulb in the brain
Tace amine-associated receptor (TAAR)
any one of a family of probable pheromone receptors produced by neurons in the main olfactory epithelium
