Hearing Flashcards
Vibrations in the air that changes the frequency
sound waves
Frequency
The number of wave cycles in a certain amount of time.
What is frequency measured in?
Hertz
What is the common word for frequency?
pitch
Amplitude
The strength of a wave in a given cycle
What is amplitude measured in?
Decibles
What is the common word for amplitude
loudness
Path of sound
- Sound waves enter the outer ear
- Deflect off the tympanic membrane
- Vibrations of the deflection hit the ossicles
- One of the ossicle chain bones hits the oval window causing a wave to form in the cochlea
- When the fluid in the cochlea moves it deflects the basilar membrane
- Tiny hairs on the basilar membrane communicates with nerves that turn it into pulses
The path of sound from ear to brain
cochlea > brainstem > thalamus > temporal lobe> auditory cortex
The ear drum
tympanic membrane
ossicles
tiny bones in the ear that make up a chain going from maleus > incus > stapes
Oval window
membrane separating the ossicles from the middle ear
cochlea
fluid filled area that contains hair cells
Basilar membrane
structure in the cochlea that the hair cells sit on
hair cells
sensory receptors that convert sound waves to impulses
Tonotopic map
different areas represent different different sound frequencies. Projects sound to different parts of the auditory cortex
Association areas
parts of the brain involved in interpreting sensory input; links to the other senses
Frequency theory
different sound frequencies have different rates of action potential when converted.
Place Theory
different frequencies activate different parts of the basilar membrane; where originates determines frequency
absolute pitch
the ability to identify certain notes in isolation.
Tone Deaf
The inability to distinguish pitches
How do ears adapt to sound?
- Contracting muscles around the ear opening
- hair cells become less sensitive to continuous noises
- Brain filters out many sounds that are unimportant
Cocktail party effect
Top-down brain processing where the brain can pick out specific information in a noisy environment
How to detect location of a sound
- General loudness
- Loudness in each ear
- Timing
When does hearing first develop
While still fetuses
When does the ability to respond to sound first develop?
Within the first two months of life
When do musical skills develop
between ages 3 to 5
Conduction deafness
When there is a break in the hearing nervous pathways
Nerve deafness
Damage or malformations of the brain or auditory nerves
Tinnitus
ringing of the ear caused by structural changes to the brain.
Sensitive periods
this is the times of peak development
