Hearing and Ear Anatomy 3.4.1

Question 1

What is the auditory canal?

Answer 1

The entryway for sounds. channels the sound waves into the eardrums
- where sound first arrives (outer ear)

Question 2

What is a basilar membrane?

Answer 2

The inner lining of the cochlea

Question 3

What is cilia?

Answer 3

Hair cells that trigger neural impulses
-helps send impulses to the brain
-in the basilar membrane

Question 4

What is cochlea?

Answer 4

A fluid-filled, snail-shaped tube
-when the cochlea vibrates, it translates the sound into nerve impulses

Question 5

What is a cochlear implant?

Answer 5

The sensory nerve that transfers auditory information from the cochlea to the brain
(nerve impulses are sent to the brain through here)
-known as the acoustic or auditory nerve
-inner ear

Question 6

What are decibels?

Answer 6

What the intensity of sound is measured in

Question 7

What is the eardrum?

Answer 7

Vibrates like a mini drum when sound waves hit it.

-known as tympanic membrane
-vibrations are then sent to the ossicles
-more intense = more vibration

Question 8

What is frequency?

Answer 8

The number of waves that occur within a specific amount of time (seconds)
-in wavelengths
-short-wavelength = high frequency/pitch
-long-wavelength = low frequency/pitch
(pay attention to the arrows in pictures)

Question 9

What are ossicles?

Answer 9

Tiny bones in the middle ear

1. malleus
2. incus
3. stapes

Help intensify the vibration and prepare it to move further into the inner ear.
-connects the tympanic membrane to the oval window (inner ear)
-without the ossicles, moderate or severe hearing loss can become present
-middle ear

Question 10

What is the oval window?

Answer 10

The membrane between the middle and inner ear that sets the basilar membrane of the cochlea into motion

-the ossicles amplify and relay vibrations through here
-middle ear

Question 11

What is pitch?

Answer 11

The perceived highness or lowness of a tone
(frequency influences pitch)

Question 12

What is the primary auditory cortex?

Question 13

What is psychoacoustics?

Answer 13

The scientific study of how humans perceive various sounds

Question 14

What is sound?

Answer 14

The movement of air molecules caused by a vibration of a specific object

Question 15

What is amplitude?

Answer 15

The intensity of a sound wave
-high or low dips
-great amplitude = loud sounds
-small amplitude = soft sounds
(pay attention to the arrows in pictures)