Hearing/Speaking Flashcards
What is sound
Air molecules that bind together
What are sound waves?
Changs in air pressure caused by vibrating air molecules
No sound is perceived unless…
There is someone to convert the sound waves into our electrical signals
What is frequency?
The rate at which air molecules vibrate
What generates a high pitch?
High frequency sound waves that are caused by fast vibrations
What does amplitude refer to?
The number of air molecules that are vibrating in a sound wave
What makes a sound seem louder?
An increased number of vibrating air molecules increases the amount of energy in a sound wave
What determines a sounds complexity?
Most sounds are a mixture of frequencies, and the particular mixture determines the complexity
What part of the ear collects and amplifies sound waves?
Outer ear (pinna)
Why are sound waves that occur at 3000 Hz selectively amplified?
Human speech
What is the function of the ear drum?
Transmits sound energy mechanically to the fluid filled inner ear (cochlea)
What is the function of the cochlea?
Converts these mechanical vibrations into electrical signals
Where are auditory receptor neurons located?
In the cochlea, next to the basilar membrane
What to auditory receptor neurons do?
Convert sound into electrical signals
How do the receptor neurons on different parts of the basilar membrane form a map, and what is the map called?
Tonotopic map
- Respond to different frequencies
When do auditory receptor cells (hair cells) vibrate?
If the appropriate frequency is heard
What does vibrations of the hair cells in the cochlea result in?
The physical opening and closing of ion channels
What can damage to the cochlea hairs result in?
Hearing loss
What is amplitude denoted by?
Frequency of action potentials
Where do hair cells in the cochlea send their axons?
Regions of the brainstem, which are then relayed to the midbrain, thalamus and cerebral cortex
What does the opposite hemisphere recieve?
Preferential input
What is the audible spectrum for humans?
20-20000 Hz
Why can smaller animals detect higher frequencies?
The cochleae of smaller animals are smaller and therefore resonate better at higher frequencies
What does sound localisation result from?
Integrating information from the two ears
