Ear & Audition

Question 1

What is the outer ear called?

Answer 1

Auricle

Question 2

What is the pinna?

Answer 2

Part of the outer ear that creates a funnel approx 1 inch or 25mm. Close by the tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Question 3

What closes the pinna?

Answer 3

Tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Question 4

What is the role of the outer ear?

Answer 4

To direct and amplify sound further into the ear

Question 5

What is the resonant frequency of the ear?

Answer 5

3,430 Hz

Question 6

What the role of the Middle Ear?

Answer 6

Transmits sound from the tympanic membrane from the air into fluid in the inner ear (labyrinth)

Question 7

What are the smallest bones in the body, found in the body?

Answer 7

Malleus (hammer), Incus (anvil), stapes (stirrup)

Question 8

What is the oval window?

Answer 8

Membrane covered opening leading to the inner ear

Question 9

What’s the round window?

Answer 9

Vibrates with opposite phase vibrations entering the inner ear via the oval window

Question 10

What is the eustachian tube?

Answer 10

It is a tube in the middle ear connecting to the nasal pharyngeal regions thats role is to equalise atmospheric pressure from outside to inside the ear

Question 11

What is a disease of the middle ear?

Answer 11

Otitis Media (OM)/Glue Ear

Question 12

What is otitis media (OM) or Glue Ear?

Answer 12

Inflammation and fluid accumulation in the middle ear. Can cause conductive hearing loss as it makes it harder for sound to be conducted from the outer to inner ear

Question 13

What are the muscles that regulate the middle ear?

Answer 13

Tensor malleus and stapideus

Question 14

What are the tensor malleus and stapideus?

Answer 14

The smallest striated muscles in the body that regulate middle-ear function. They attenuate transmission by 30%

Question 15

What part of the ear is an impedance transformer or amplifer?

Answer 15

The middle ear

Question 16

What is the cochlea?

Answer 16

A structure in the inner ear that is a fluid filled coiled tube with 2.75 turns.

Question 17

What are the sensory organs for balance?

Answer 17

Semicircular ducts

Question 18

What are semi-circular ducts in the inner ear?

Answer 18

Sensory organs for balance

Question 19

What joins the foremen ovale (oval window)?

Answer 19

Scala vestibuli

Question 20

Where is the organ of corti located in the inner ear?

Answer 20

In the scala media

Question 21

What does the organ of corti do?

Answer 21

Transduces electrical impulses; transduces vibrational energy from a sound into an action potential (nerve impulse)

Question 22

Where do hair cells in the inner ear sit?

Answer 22

On the basiliar membrane in the organ of corti in the cochlea

Question 23

The cochlea/basilar membrane is wider and then gets narrower and less stiff at the end. What is this called?

Answer 23

Tonotopic as it resonates higher frequencies at the wider side and lower frequencies at the narrower end

Question 24

How does the vibration get transduced in the inner ear?

Answer 24

Vibrations at the basilar membrane transfer a ‘shearing’ force on the hair cells above it by movement of the tectorial membrane bending the stereocilia on hair cells. It has a single K+ channel that opens in the shearing process causing an action potential down afferent signals (as it depolarises) and releases neurotransmitters to CN VII (vestibulocochlear nerve).

Question 25

What is the sylvian fissure and where is it?

Answer 25

It’s surrounded by the secondary auditory cortex and organised into frequency columns, tonotopically like the cochlea

Question 26

How many types of hearing loss are there and what are they?

Answer 26

4 types;
1) Auditory Processing Disorders
2) Conductive Hearing Loss
3) Sensorineural Hearing Loss
4) Mixed Hearing Loss

Question 27

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Answer 27

The brain having issues processing the information contained in sound like understanding speech or working out the location of sounds

Question 28

What is conductive hearing loss?

Answer 28

Problem with the outer or middle ear that interferes with passing sound to the inner ear

Question 29

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Answer 29

When the cochlea and/or auditory nerve is unable to send accurate electrical information to the brain.

Question 30

What form of hearing loss is almost always permanent?

Answer 30

Sensorineural

Question 31

What is mixed hearing loss?

Answer 31

Both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss