Sensation and Perception (Audition)

Question 1

Audition

Answer 1

The perception of sounds
Critical for human capacities like language
Different sensory features, like pitch, loudness, and timing of sounds are processed to recognize auditory events, separate sounds from background noises, and locate sounds in space

Question 2

The Cochlea

Answer 2

• Organ in the inner ear that contains hair cells
  
  • Diff frequencies stimulate diff hair cells in the cochlea
  • Tonotopic map
  • Based on which hair cells are stimulated, a sound can be interpreted
  • Organ of Corti contains the hair cells and a fluid filled canals
  • Movement of hairs -> electrical signal -> ganglion cells -> spiral ganglion -> auditory nerve

Question 3

The inner ear

Answer 3

Inner ear:
- Auditory nerve
- Cochlea
- Eustachian tube
- Oval window of the cochlea
- Ossicles
- Tympanic membrane

Question 4

Auditory Pathways

Answer 4

Auditory information from the cochlea passes through different regions before reaching the auditory cortex
- in the medulla: cochlear nucleus and superior olivary nucleus
- then the inferior colliculus (in the tectum)
- then the medial geniculate nucleus in the thalamus
-then sent to the A1

Question 5

Basilar membrane

Answer 5

• Narrow and stiff base (for high pitch) that becomes thinner, wider, and floppy apex (for low frequency)
  ○ Tonotopic organization
  ○ Causes waves to occur
  ○ Along the way, hair cells are responding
  § Hair cells are pulled by waves
  ○ Stereocilia/ Cilia are connected by tip links that pull on each other when moved by sound waves, which causes them to open receptors