Unit 3 - Audition / Ear Flashcards
Audition
Sense of hearing.
Frequency
Number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time. Hz.
Pitch
A tone’s highness or lowness, depending on the frequency.
Outer ear / function
Receives sound waves and sends them through the auditory canal to the eardrum. Makes eardrum vibrate.
Middle ear / function
Chamber between eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (HAMMER, ANVIL, STIRRUP) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum. Sends the vibrations to the cochlea.
Inner ear
Contains the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
Cochlea (Basilar Membrane)
Coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear that transforms sound vibrations into auditory signals (transduction).
The vibrations of the cochlea cause the fluid in the oval window of it to move. This causes the hairs in the basilar membrane to bend, which triggers the adjacent nerve cells. These nerve cells converge to form the auditory nerve, which sends signals to the auditory cortex.
Place Theory
Sound frequencies stimulate the basilar membrane at specific places resulting in perceived pitch.
Frequency Theory
The rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch.
Localization of Sounds
Sounds that reach one ear faster than the other ear cause us to localize the sound.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Occurs when there is damage to the auditory nerve.
Conduction Hearing Loss
Occurs when sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear are blocked.
Cochlear Implant
Electronic devices that enable the brain to hear sounds.
Organ of Corti
a structure in the cochlea of the inner ear which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations.
