Hearing - chapter 11 Flashcards
the outer ear consists of which structures
pinnae and auditory canal
what are the pinnae
the outermost structure of the ear (what sticks out the sides of our head)
what is the auditory canal
a tubelike recess (about 3 cm)
what is the function of the pinnae
allow us to identify the location of sound
true or false: when Van Gogh cut his left ear it resulted in deafness on the left side
false. He cut the pinna which is the part of the ear we can most do without
what is the purpose of the auditory canal
it protects the structures of the middle ear from the outside world, keeps it at a relatively constant temp and helps enhance the intensities of some sounds
what is found at the end of the auditory canal
the tympanic membrane/ear drum
explain resonance
it is when sound waves that are reflected from the closed end of the auditory canal interact with sound waves entering the canal
what are the ossicles
the smallest bones in the body, malleus, incus, stapes (respectively)
what is the middle ear’s main function
separates inner and outer ear
what happens when airborne sound waves reach the tympanic membrane
it begins to vibrate and in turn, makes the ossicles vibrate one after another until the stapes transmits the vibrations to the inner ear by pushing on the membrane covering the oval window
what is the big diff between the outer/middle ear and the inner ear
the outer and middle ear is filled with air and the inner ear is filled with cochlear fluid which is much denser
what would happen if the vibrations went straight from the outer to the inner ear
less than 1% of the vibrations would be transmitted because of the drastic change in density
what is the role of the middle ear muscles
at high sound levels, they contract to dampen the ossicle’s vibrations
what is the main structure of the inner ear
the cochlea
