The Hearing Sense Flashcards
Audition
Process of ears processing sound waves.
Sound waves
Vibrations of molecules traveling through the air.
Amplitude
Height of a sound wave.
Frequency
Number of wavelength cycles in a unit of time, determines highness of sound pitch.
Pinna
Directs sound waves into the ear canal.
Tympanic membrane
Vibrate due to sound waves.
Middle ear
Sound waves travel to vibrate the bones of the ear.
Cochlea
Transduces mechanical energy of vibrating molecules to electrochemical energy of neural impulses.
Place theory
We distinguish pitch based on where on the basilar membrane.
Frequency theory
We hear pitch based on how fast our hair cells vibrate.
Locating Sound “Sound Localization”
Sound waves strike in one ear faster than the other.
Conduction hearing loss
Caused by eardrum puncture, age, genetics, and/or environment.
Sensorineural hearing loss/nerve deafness
When the inner ear, cochlea, and auditory nerves aren’t functioning.
Cochlear implant
Device for stimulating sensorineural hearing.
The McGurk effect
Speech sounds are affected when audio stimuli is confused with visual stimuli.
