L5 - overview of the auditory system Flashcards
what do we use sound for ?
communication emotion recognise different sound topographic view of the auditory world survival
how is sound relayed from the ear to the brain
highly specialised mechanisms in the cochlea
what features of sound need encoding
sound frequency (pitch) - Hz
sound intensity - dB
onset
duration
what range of sound frequency can we hear
x10^3 Hz
achieved by cochlear mechanisms and physiology of the hair cells
what range of sound intensity can we hear
x10^12 dB
what is a rapid onset important for ?
localising different sounds and creating a topographic map of auditory space
structure of human ear
sound enters outer ear
travels across the middle ear using the ossicles
transferred to the cochlea in the inner ear
what is the cochlea
snail shell structure that contains sensory hair cells and nerve fibres that transmits the sound to the brain as a neuronal signal
what are the 3 chambers of the cochlea
scala vestiboli
scala media
scala tympani
what is the organ of corti
sensory organ in the cochlea that contains the sensory hair cells, is located at the bottom of the Scala media
what innervates the cochlea
the auditory nerve
what do the Scala vestibuli and tympani contain
perilymph - solution similar to the ECF - low K+ and normal Ca2+ concentrations
what does the Scala media contain
endolymph - very high K+ conc and very low Ca2+ conc
due to having a very active pumping from cells in the stria vascularis
what is the potential in the Scala. media ?
endocochlear potential - important for cochlea function
difference in potential of. around 140mv to that of solution of hair cells
what are the inner hair cells of organ of corti
single row, sensory cells of. cochlea
outer hair cells of organ of corti
3 rows - function as the cochlea amplifier
what does the frequency range depend on ?
size of animal
pressure to communicate over long distance, hunting and survival
low frequencies can travel greater distances than higher frequencies
specialised functions to do with ultrasonic sounds
echolocation in bats
sonar for dolphins
what is the tonotopic organisation of the mammalian cochlea
spiraled cochlea - allows to hear as much as possible
- hair cells at base respond to high frequency sounds
- hair cells at apex respond to low frequency sounds
what is the reserve piano
the sensory hair cells in the cochlea are like individual keys on a piano. Each key being a narrow frequency range