Hearing

Question 1

Vibrations in the air that changes the frequency

Answer 1

sound waves

Question 2

Frequency

Answer 2

The number of wave cycles in a certain amount of time.

Question 3

What is frequency measured in?

Answer 3

Hertz

Question 4

What is the common word for frequency?

Answer 4

pitch

Question 5

Amplitude

Answer 5

The strength of a wave in a given cycle

Question 6

What is amplitude measured in?

Answer 6

Decibles

Question 7

What is the common word for amplitude

Answer 7

loudness

Question 8

Path of sound

Answer 8

1. Sound waves enter the outer ear
2. Deflect off the tympanic membrane
3. Vibrations of the deflection hit the ossicles
4. One of the ossicle chain bones hits the oval window causing a wave to form in the cochlea
5. When the fluid in the cochlea moves it deflects the basilar membrane
6. Tiny hairs on the basilar membrane communicates with nerves that turn it into pulses

Question 9

The path of sound from ear to brain

Answer 9

cochlea > brainstem > thalamus > temporal lobe> auditory cortex

Question 10

The ear drum

Answer 10

tympanic membrane

Question 11

ossicles

Answer 11

tiny bones in the ear that make up a chain going from maleus > incus > stapes

Question 12

Oval window

Answer 12

membrane separating the ossicles from the middle ear

Question 13

cochlea

Answer 13

fluid filled area that contains hair cells

Question 14

Basilar membrane

Answer 14

structure in the cochlea that the hair cells sit on

Question 15

hair cells

Answer 15

sensory receptors that convert sound waves to impulses

Question 16

Tonotopic map

Answer 16

different areas represent different different sound frequencies. Projects sound to different parts of the auditory cortex

Question 17

Association areas

Answer 17

parts of the brain involved in interpreting sensory input; links to the other senses

Question 18

Frequency theory

Answer 18

different sound frequencies have different rates of action potential when converted.

Question 19

Place Theory

Answer 19

different frequencies activate different parts of the basilar membrane; where originates determines frequency

Question 20

absolute pitch

Answer 20

the ability to identify certain notes in isolation.

Question 21

Tone Deaf

Answer 21

The inability to distinguish pitches

Question 22

How do ears adapt to sound?

Answer 22

1. Contracting muscles around the ear opening
2. hair cells become less sensitive to continuous noises
3. Brain filters out many sounds that are unimportant

Question 23

Cocktail party effect

Answer 23

Top-down brain processing where the brain can pick out specific information in a noisy environment

Question 24

How to detect location of a sound

Answer 24

1. General loudness
2. Loudness in each ear
3. Timing

Question 25

When does hearing first develop

Answer 25

While still fetuses

Question 26

When does the ability to respond to sound first develop?

Answer 26

Within the first two months of life

Question 27

When do musical skills develop

Answer 27

between ages 3 to 5

Question 28

Conduction deafness

Answer 28

When there is a break in the hearing nervous pathways

Question 29

Nerve deafness

Answer 29

Damage or malformations of the brain or auditory nerves

Question 30

Tinnitus

Answer 30

ringing of the ear caused by structural changes to the brain.

Question 31

Sensitive periods

Answer 31

this is the times of peak development