How Do We Hear, Taste & Smell? Flashcards

1
Q

amplitude

A

measured as sound pressure
loudness

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2
Q

frequency

A

measured in Hertz (Hz)
pitch
most people detect 20-20,000 Hz

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3
Q

mechanical energy of sound waves

A

transduced into neuronal electrical activity- information that goes into the brain

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4
Q

outer ear

A

pinna
sound waves propagate down the ear canal to the tympanic membrane

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5
Q

pinna

A

funnels sound waves into ear canal
enhances certain frequencies- speech

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6
Q

eardrum

A

vibrates with a certain speed- pitch
how big the vibrations are- loudness

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7
Q

3 ossicles

A

malleus, incus, stapes

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8
Q

vibrations in tympanic membrane causes 3 ossicles to

A

move
amplifies pressure
malleus->incus->stapes

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9
Q

contact between ossicles is controlled by two muscles in order to

A

reduce the movement- is more stiff- protects from loud sounds
mute self-made sounds

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10
Q

inner ear

A

oval window
cochlea

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11
Q

oval window

A

stapes is in contact with
transfer vibrations to 3 fluid-filled canals in cochlea

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12
Q

cochlea

A

is small and coiled
basilar and tectorial membranes separate the canals
organ of corti

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13
Q

basilar membrane

A

between the tympanic and middle canals
vibrates- different areas sensitive to specific frequencies
high freq at narrow, stiff base
low freq at wide, floppy apex/tip

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14
Q

tectorial membrane

A

between vestibular and middle canals

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15
Q

organ of corti

A

sits between basilar and tectorial membranes
contains inner and outer hair cells

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16
Q

inner hair cells

A

detect sound

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17
Q

outer hair cells

A

help discriminate between similar frequencies
support cells

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18
Q

hair cells transduce sound waves into

A

electrical activity
has 50-200 stereocilia (hairs)- will move
relay electrical information to auditory nerve fibers

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19
Q

inner hair cell transduction

A

vibrations bend stereocilia
tip links open ion channels
Ca2+ flows in, K+ depolarize IHC (receptor potential)
release NT onto auditory nerve (mainly glutamate)
not neurons- because they do not generate action potentials

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20
Q

tonotopic map

A

frequency

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21
Q

tuning curves

A

auditory nerves have distinctive receptive fields- frequency that it is more sensitive to/favorite frequency

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22
Q

What does the frequency of sound waves determine?

A

B. Pitch

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23
Q

auditory pathway to brain #1

A

Hair cells release neurotransmitter onto vestibulocochlear nerve (8th)

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24
Q

auditory pathway to brain #2

A

8th nerve synapses onto cochlear nucleus in brain stem

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25
Q

auditory pathway to brain #3

A

info travels to both superior olivary nuclei: mostly crosses midline

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26
Q

auditory pathway to brain #4

A

inferior colliculus (primary auditory centers of midbrain), then medical geniculate nucleus (thalamus), then auditory cortex
inferior colliculus->thalamus->auditory cortex

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27
Q

Why might it be important that auditory information travel to both the same side and opposite side colliculi?

A

to be able to tell which side the information is coming from
sound localization- bihearing
information from both ears and both sides of the brain- brain figures out where sound is coming from

28
Q

inferior colliculus

A

tonotopic map- critical for sound localization
processes intensity, frequency and duration of sound

29
Q

auditory cortex

A

identifies complex sounds that have many sub-parts (ex. vocalizations)
tonotopic map

30
Q

older people losing hearing

A

floppy basilar membrane becomes less floppy
stiff base is less sensitive to low decibel high frequencies
cannot hear higher pitches- need to be louder

31
Q

conduction deafness

A

disorders of the outer/middle ear that prevent vibrations from reaching the cochlea

32
Q

sensorineural deafness

A

originates from cochlear or auditory nerve lesions; hereditary disease of hair cells

33
Q

central deafness

A

hearing loss caused by brain lesions (such as stroke), with complex results

34
Q

cochlear implant

A

electrode is implanted into the cochlea
detector turns into electrical signal

35
Q

smell

A

olfaction
humans can discriminate over 1 trillion odorants!
any 2 people differ in their expression of different odor receptors by 30%

36
Q

olfactory epithelium

A

inhalation brings odorants here
olfactory receptor neurons (6 million)
supporting cells
basal cells

37
Q

olfactory neurons regenerated from

A

basal cells- adult neurogenesis

38
Q

olfactory neurons have

A

cilia extending from the dendritic knob into the olfactory mucosa
unmyelinated axon to olfactory bulb
metabotropic receptors on cilia and knob

39
Q

each olfactory neuron expresses only ____ type of olfactory receptor

A

one
each receptor belongs to 1 of 4 subfamilies

40
Q

Given that humans can discriminate between 1 trillion odors, how
many different types of odor receptors do you think we have?
A. 4
B. 400
C. 40,000
D. 4 million

A

B. 400
can come in different combinations
one smell is made of a bunch of odorants

41
Q

olfactory receptor signaling

A

transduction

42
Q

olfactory transduction

A

odorant binds metabotropic receptor
G-protein activated
adenylyl cyclase activated and makes cAMP (2nd messenger)

43
Q

transduction continued

A

cAMP causes cation (Ca2+, Na+) channels to open
voltage-gated Cl- channels open to further depolarize cell (receptor potential)
action potential in axon

44
Q

olfactory bulb

A

olfactory neuron
mitral cells
glomeruli

45
Q

olfactory neurons axons synapse on

A

mitral cells in the olfactory bulb

46
Q

the mitral cells are

A

clustered into glomeruli (spheres of cells) in the olfactory bulb

47
Q

glomerulus receives input

A

from olfactory neurons with same receptor type
separated function in olfactory bulb

48
Q

functional localization of olfactory receptors in epithelium

A

piriform cortex

49
Q

piriform cortex

A

olfactory representation goes directly into the cerebral cortex (no need to go through thalamus)

50
Q

5 tastants

A

5 receptors (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami)

51
Q

taste receptor cells

A

(50-150) are clustered into taste buds

52
Q

taste buds are located

A

on sides of taste pores between papillae (bumps)

53
Q

circumvallate papillate

A

located in the back

54
Q

foliate papillae

A

located along the sides

55
Q

fungiform papillae

A

located in the front of the tongue

56
Q

taste cells

A

replaced every 10-14 days

57
Q

transduction of taste

A

receptors on cilia are bound by tastants
receptor activation produces receptor potentials
receptor potential causes neurotransmitter release onto cranial nerves
thalamus
gustatory map in cortex

58
Q

salty

A

Na+ ions flow through open ion channels in the taste cell membrane, causing depolarization

59
Q

sour

A

we perceive acidic solutions as sour
acid-sensitive K+ ion channels are blocked, preventing K+ leaving the cell and leading to depolarization

60
Q

acid

A

high concentration of H+

61
Q

sweet

A

sugars bind to T1R2 and T1R3 receptors, causing them to join (dimerize)

62
Q

sweet activation

A

tastant binding to receptor-> activation of G-protein-> second messengers-> Ca2+ flow into cell -> receptor potential-> neurotransmitter release

63
Q

umami

A

amino acid receptor (mostly activated by L-glutamate and monosodium glutamate)
G-protein coupled metabotropic-like receptor; heterodimer of T1R1 and T1R3

64
Q

umami activation

A

tastant binding to receptor-> activation of G-protein-> second messengers-> Ca2+ flow into cell-> receptor potential-> neurotransmitter release

65
Q

bitter

A

T2R receptors: G-protein coupled metabotropic-like receptors
30 types, so can perceive many bitter flavors

66
Q

bitter activation

A

tastant binding to receptor-> activation of G-protein-> second messengers-> Ca2+ flow into cell-> receptor potential-> neurotransmitter

67
Q

Which is the part of the tongue that senses sweet?

A

everywhere