Hearing, Balance, Taste and Smell

Question 1

or intensity, measured in decibels (dB) and perceived as loudness

Answer 1

amplitude

Question 2

measured in number of cycles per second, or hertz (Hz), and perceived as pitch

Answer 2

frequency

Question 3

sound, a mechanical force is … into neural activity

Answer 3

transduced

Question 4

collects sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal

Answer 4

external ear (or pinna)

Question 5

the … concentrates sound energies

Answer 5

middle ear

Question 6

sound waves strike the … and cause it to vibrate, which also moves the ossicles (small bones)

Answer 6

tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Question 7

the ossicles connect the tympanic membrane to the … which is a specialized patch of membrane where they send the concentrated vibrations

Answer 7

oval window

Question 8

two muscles in the middle ear act to control volume by stiffening to reduce sounds effect: the …

Answer 8

tensor tympani and stapedius

Question 9

the spiral-shaped, fluid filled cochlea of the inner ear converts …

Answer 9

sound vibrations into neural activity

Question 10

the auditory nerve fibers from the cochlea send info to the … in the brainstem (where info from both ears is first processed)

Answer 10

superior olivary nuclei

Question 11

from there, info goes to the … the primary auditory centers of the midbrain

Answer 11

inferior colliculi

Question 12

outputs of the inferior colliculi go to the … of the thalamus

Answer 12

medial geniculate nuclei

Question 13

pathways from here extend to …

Answer 13

auditory cortex

Question 14

differences in loudness at the two ears

Answer 14

intensity differences

• occurs if the ears are pointed in differ directions or if the head casts a sound shadow, resulting in unequal loudness

Question 15

differences between the two ears in the time of arrival sounds

Answer 15

latency differences

Question 16

the structure of the external ear can reinforce some frequencies, and diminish others, in … helping to locate the sound vertically

Answer 16

spectral filtering

Question 17

a moderate to severe decrease in sensitivity to sound

Answer 17

hearing loss

Question 18

hearing loss so profound that speech cannot be perceived even with the use of hearing aids

Answer 18

deafness

Question 19

disorders of the outer or middle ear prevent sounds from reaching the cochlea

Answer 19

conduction deafness

Question 20

the sensory apparatus of the cochlea fails to convert the stimuli into action potentials; the brain isn’t informed about sound

• caused by genetic mutations, infections, ototoxic effects of drugs, loud sounds

Answer 20

sensorineural deafness

Question 21

damage to hair cells can result in … a persistent ringing in the ears

Answer 21

tinnitus

Question 22

damage to auditory brain areas by stroke, tumors or traumatic brain injury render the brain unable to make sense of the sounds it hears

Answer 22

central deafness

Question 23

selective difficulty recognizing normal speech sounds; they have normal speech and can recognize nonverbal sounds

Answer 23

word deafness

Question 24

difficulty recognizing all complex sounds; much more rare

Answer 24

cortical deafness