the ear and sound detection Flashcards
what is sound?
the displacement of air that creates regions of compressed air (peaks) and rarefied air (troughs)
what is the speed (velocity) of sound at room temperature?
343 m/s
calculate velocity
frequency x wavelength
what is frequency
number of peaks per second (in Hz) (number of compressed areas per second)
what is a wavelength
distance between successive peaks (in m)
relationship between frequency and wavelength
lower frequency= longer wavelengths
higher frequency = shorter wavelengths
intensity
higher displacement of air but the same frequency
outer ear
pinna, auditory canal and tympanic membrane
middle ear
malleus, incus, stapes and oval window
inner ear
cochlear
sound pathway from the pinnae to the oval window
1) sound waves travel through air down the auditory canal, displacing the tympanic membrane
2) tympanic membrane pushes on the handle of the malleus
3) the malleus acts as a lever with a fulcrum point that is nearer to the handle, as the handle is displaces to the right, the head is displaced to the left
4) malleus passes the movement to the incus, the incus to the stapes, and the stapes to the oval window
what does the lever effect have on the oval window?
pressure at the oval window is increased 20x
how many muscles are there in the inner ear? what are they attached to?
two muscles, one attached to the malleus and one attached to the stapes bone
what happens when muscles in connected to the malleus and stapes contract?
they stiffen the ossicles and dampen the intensity that enters the inner ear via the oval window
intensity and frequency the attenuation reflex is needed at
High intensity (>60dB) Low frequency (<2,000Hz)
what is the attenuation reflex?
feedback mechanism to dampen loud sounds and protect hair cells in the inner ear
pathway when the inner hair cells are being put under too much mechanical pressure
inner hair cells
project to the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN)
projects to the superior olivary complex
1)
projects to the facial motor nucleus (cranial nerve 7)
contracts the stapedius muscle
2)
projects to the NLL
projects to the motor 5 nucleus (cranial nerve 5)
contracts the muscle attached to the malleus
pathway of internally generated sounds
motor V nucleus
cranial nerve 5
contracts muscle attached to the malleus
what three chambers are found in the cochlear
scala vestibuli
scala media
scala tympani
which chambers is perilymph found?
scala vestibuli
scala tympani
which chambers is endolymph found?
scala media
endolymph composition
1mM Na+ low
150mM K+ high
why does the endolymph have high K+ and low Na+?
due to ion transport by stria vascularis cells
why is the composition of endolymph in the scala media important?
high level of potassium outside of hair cells allows it to move down the concentration gradient into the cell
perilymph composition
low K+ and high Na+
like extracellular fluid
where is the organ of corti located
on the basilar membrane, between the scala media and scala tympani
where is the basilar membrane?
between scala tympani and scala media
where is reissner’s membrane?
between scala vestibuli and scala media