wk 12, lec 1 Flashcards
3 parts of the auricle (pinna)
helix, lobule, tragus
function of auricle/ pinna
o Focuses sound waves onto tympanic membrane
o Changes the nature of sounds coming from different directions, emphasizes certain frequencies
what is the auditory meatus
opening of external auditory canal (ear hole)
what glands are in auditory meatus
o Ceruminous glands (modified apocrine sudoriferous glands) = ear wax
function of ceruminous glands
Traps foreign substances, protects
-has fine hairs too
what is cerumen made of
anti microbial proteins, saturated FA, sloughed keratinocytes
where is tympanic membrane? what is is covered by?
- Tympanic membrane is border between middle and outer ear
o Fibroelastic CT covered externally with epidermis and internally by simple cuboidal epithelium
what is tympanic cavity? location? epithelium?
- Tympanic cavity in in the petrous part of the temporal bone
o Pseudostratified columnar epithelium lines eustachian tube and opens into nasopharynx
what does tympanic cavity open into? what happens if collapses and opens?
opens into nasopharynx
o Usually collapsed but opens when swallow or yawn to equalize pressure (i.e. pop ears on plane)
3 ossicles (little bones)
malleus, incus, stapes
malleus attaches to
incus attaches to
stapes attaches to
o Malleus
Attaches to tympanic membrane and incus (synovial joint)
o Incus
Attaches to malleus and stapes (synovial joint)
o Stapes
Attaches to incus and oval window (ow= transition from middle to inner ear)
muscle in malleus and what CN
Tensor tympani muscle dampens movement (CN V)
muscle in stapes and what CN
Stapedius: dampens vibrations (CN VII)
the oscines function as?
- Little bones as levers : amplify movements of tympanic membranae to oval window (TM has greater surface area than OW) and overcome acoustic impendence mismatch between air and water
what do ossicles help to overcome
acoustic impedance mismatch between air and water
where do vibrations get sent for action potentials
o Can send vibrations of fluid to cochlea and make action potentials = sound
cochlea- coiled how many times, has what
- Cochlea- coiled 2.5 times, has sterovilli/cilia
3 parts of cochlea
scala vestibuli
scale tympani
scala media
scala vestibuli
scale tympani
scala media
which are filled with endolymph and perilymph
scala vestibuli- perilymph
scale tympani- perilymph
scala media- endolymph
what is Scala vestibule connected to, how is it separated from Scala media
Connects with oval window
Seperated from scala media by reissner’s membrane
what is Scala tympani connected to, how is it seperate from Scala media, what is it continuous with
Connects to round window
Separated from scala media by basilar membrane
Continuous with scala vestibuli (communicated via helicotrema (tunnel))
how does Scala vestibule and tympani communicate
helicotrema (tunnel)
how does Scala media contact tectorial membrane
Houses inner and outer hair cells (in basillar membrane) which contacts tectorial membrane
in the scala media what membrane so endolymph and perilymph dont mix
Reissner membrane as barrier so endolymph and perilymph don’t mix
what is for action potnetial in ear
organ of corti (in scala media)
organ of corti
site of transduction for vibration action potential
where is organ of corti
- Stretches along basillar membrane
- 4 rows of hair cells
o Inner hair cells project into endolymph
o Outer hair cells project into tectorial membrane
in scala media
contents in endolymph vs perilymph
- Endolymph= high K+
- Perilymph = similar to CSF- low protein, mostly NaCl solution
steps to process of hearing
- Sound waves enters external auditory canal
- Stapes move inwards oval window moves inwards drop in pressure of scala vestibuli
- Round window moves outwards (fluid not very compressible) and scala tympani pressure is now higher than scala vestibuli
- Basillar membrane bends upward and organ of corti shears towards tectorial membrane
- Hair bundle of outer hair cells tilt toward longer stereovilli
- Transduction channels open in outer hair cells: K+ in depolarize receptor potential
- Depolarize contraction of prestin contraction of outer hair cell (microseconds)
- Basillar membrane moves upwards even more due to outer hair cell contraction
- Endolymph moves beneath tectorial membrane
- Inner hair cells bend towards longer stereovilli
- Transduction channels open in inner hair cells depolarize (K+ in, receptor potential)
- VG Ca2+ channel open release glutamate depolarize afferent neuron
a. Afferent cell bodies in spiral ganglion
b. Bipolar neurons -dendrites contact inner hair cells
where is high frequency and low frequency detected in the ear
- High frequency detected near oval window
- Low frequency detected near helicotrema
what is pitch based on
- Pitch based on what part of organ of corti detects the sound
differences in loudness is from
- Differences in loudness via how much basilar membrane vibrates
o More movements more displacement of stereovilli more glutamate
o Loudness= frequency of action potentials
types of sound waves/ compression waves
- Sinusoidal; alternate between compression and rarefaction
how does transduction happen in sound to get AP
- Movements of oval and round window cause deflections of basilar membrane and movement of hair cells
o Frequency= where basilar membrane resonates the most
o Amplitude= size of wave