Unit 9 - Hearing Anatomy Flashcards
Auditory system
Exteroceptive system concerned with perception of sound
Vestibular system
Proprioceptive
Concerned with maintenance of equilibrium
Where does the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) emerge
SENSORY
Emerges from brainstem at cerebellopontine angle - junction between cerebellum, pons and medulla
Lateral to facial nerve
Skull opening that transmits the vestibulocochlear nerve
Internal auditory meatus
Structures of ear
Separation between external and middle ear
Tympanic membrane (ear drum)
Contents and boundaries of middle ear
Air filled space
Bounded by tympanic membrane and inner ear
Contents of inner ear/lebyrinth (in petrous portion of temporal bone)
Cochlea
Semicircular canals
Vestibule (utricule & saccule)
Transmission through outer ear
Air pressure fluctuations move tympanic membrane (ear drum) back and forth
Attached to tensor tympani muscle - which it pulls inwards
Cochlea in inner ear conducts sound through fluid instead of air
Before sound passes into inner ear it must be amplified - OSSICLES
ossicle bones
How do the ossicles amplify sound
Stapes rests against cochlea - through oval window
Air pressure pushes on tympanic membrane - vibrates - ossicles move - stapes pushes against cochlea and displaces fluid within SCC and in cochlea to move fibres on hair cells
Tensor tympani muscle attached to malleus
stapedius attached to stapes
Tensor tympani muscle attaches to
Malleus
Stapedius attaches to
Stapes
Receptors of auditory system
Function
Where are they found
Responsible for converting mechanical energy (fluid displacement) into electrochemical energy - travels along cochlear nerve
Hair cells enclosed within inner ear in tubular system are filled with fluid
Auditory hair cells in spiral organ of corti in cochlea
What is the cochlea spiral shell composed of
3 fluid filled spaces
Scala vestibuli
Scala tympani
Cochlear duct
Scala vestibuli & scala tympani
Partially enclosed in bone
Bony labyrinth - contains perilymph
continuous with each other
Cochlear duct
Part of membranous labyrinth (contains endolymph) suspended between bony labyrinth
membranous labyrinth also includes
utricle
saccule
semicircular canals
Outer spirals =
pitch of noise
= base
Low pitch of noise
Centre spirals =
pitch of noise
Apex
High pitch of noise