The Ear Flashcards
What are the three sections of the ear?
Outer Middle Inner
What it the most valuable tool of a musician?
The Ear
The outer ear, the Pinna serves what purpose?
Helps collect sound Localize high frequencies (ridges create comb filter)
In the outer ear, what is the purpose of the Auditory Canal (meatus)?
Acts as a resonator that boosts hearing sensitivity, terminated in the eardrum *Approx. 20 dB @ 2 kHz
Where is the ear drum located?
The Middle Ear
What is the purpose of the Ear Drum?
Match impedance of air to fluid in the inner ear To Change air pressure variations into mechanical vibrations *Air pressure x 3750 = fluid
If the airborne sound hit the oval window, how much energy would be reflected?
Directly 99.9% The fluid in the cochlea is dense and incompressible
What are the 3 small bones in the inner ear called? What are their names?
Ossicles -Hammer (malleus) -Anvil (incus) -Stirrup (stapes)
Amplification from the Ear Drum to the Oval Window of the Inner Ear can be up to _______.
30x more
What is the purpose of the Ossicles?
They protect the ear from extremely loud sharp noises At 85dB our muscles tighten up to give 20 dB of protection *Delayed approx. 30-40ms
What is the purpose of the Eustachian Tube?
It provides means to equalize the air pressure. (air tight seal of eardrum via tube to oral cavity)
What composes the Middle Ear, and what is its size?
Ossicles & Eustachian Tube Size of a Sugar Cube
The Inner Ear is made up of what 4 main parts?
Semicircular Canals Cochlea Auditory Nerve Stapes
What purpose of hearing do the Semicircular Canals serve?
Little to no purpose of hearing (They control Vertical-Horizontal detectors for balancing)
What is the purpose of the Cochlea?
It changes hydraulic pressure into coded neural impulses *This part looks like a snail
Where does most of our sense of pitch come from?
The Central Nervous System
