Exam2Lec3Audition Flashcards
What is sound?
Sound is pressure waves generated by vibrating air molecules
What are the 4 major features of sound?
- Amplitude: perceives loudness (decibels)
- Frequency: perceives pitch (Hertz)
- Phase: relationship b/w 2 sine waves
- Waveform
Perception of sound corresponds to what 2 things?
Loundess and pitch
amplitude and frequency
What are the limits to human hearing (amplitude and frequencies)?
most sensitive freq thereshold: 2000-5000 hz
uncomfortable loundess amplitude: 100 db SPL
feelling/pain amplitude: 120-140 db SPL
does not mean we cannnot pervice all frequency
What are the structures of the external ear?
Pinna, concha, and the auditory meatus
What are three fxn’s of the external ear?
- Protection
- Sound gathering providing a high frequency boost > 3K Hz
- Sound localization and elevation detection
the outer ear alters the effectice spectrum of sound in a manner dependent on the location (up or down) of the sound source in the vertical plane
BASICALLY -brings in sound from air and alter sound wave to perceive where it comes from
What structures are in the middle ear?
Tympanic membrane
Malleus
Incus
Stapes
What is the fxn of the stapes?
Stapes is the smallest bone and it pounds the oval window to send signal into inner ear
What is the function of the middle ear?
Impedance matching which is when air has a lower impedance (resistance to movement) than the fluid in the inner ear
With NO middle ear, what occurs to the db and why?
30db loss intensity
b/c no impedance matching
WITH a middle ear, what occurs db?
34 db gain to resolve impedance mismatch between air and fluid
What strutures are in the inner ear?
Scala vestibuli, scala tympani, scala media, basilar membrane, organ of corti, cochlea
As the stapes pounds on the oval window, where does the fluid move?
Fluid moves inside the cochlea
What is perilymph vs endolymph?
Perilymph is similar to other EC fluid (0 mv, low K+)
Endolymph in the scala media has higher K+, lower Na+ concentration (+80 mV)
scala tympani and scala vestibuli have perilymoh
For the tonotopic organization of the cochlea, the basilar membrane (BM) is stiffest and least stiff where?
Stiffest as the base, and least stiff at the apex
Gradient in stiffness of the BM changes location of maximum displacement depending on what? Where do detect high frequences? Where do we detect low frequencies?
Depends on the frequencey of the sound wave
* High frequences=base
* low frequencies= apex
Tonotopic mapping can be found all the way where?
All the way up to the higher order processing centers in the brain
the cochlea performs a “tonotopic mapping” of frequency to place along the BM. This is an impt feature
cochlea:organ of corti
What is the organ of corti comprised of?
- Basilar membrane
- 3 rows of outer hair cells
- 1 row of inner hair cells
- Supporting cells
inside scala media
What is the tectorial membrane?
Cover apical matrix of the organ of corti
not apart of organ of corti
How do hair cells gets excited generally?
When the basilar membrane moves in the upward direction, a “shear force” is generated.
Explain how hair cells gets excited step-by-step
- Stereocilia (connected by tip links) bend in the lateral direction which opens MET (mechanaelectric transducer) channels
- K+ curent depolarizes cell & opens voltage dependent Ca2+ channels leading to transmitter release
- Ca2+ dependent K+ channels open-repolarization