Anatomy and Function of the Cochlea

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of the hair cells in the cochlea?

To convert sound waves into nerve signals (correct)

To regenerate and produce sound waves

To protect the inner ear from damage

To vibrate the strings in the cochlea

What is the main difference between the hair cells near the oval window and those near the end of the cochlea?

The ones near the end of the cochlea are more sensitive to sound pressure

The ones near the oval window are more sensitive to low frequencies

The ones near the oval window are more sensitive to high frequencies (correct)

The ones near the end of the cochlea are more sensitive to high frequencies

What is the primary mechanism of sound transduction in the cochlea?

The movement of the fluid in the cochlea

The vibration of the strings in the cochlea

The bending of the hair cells (correct)

The contraction of the muscles in the inner ear

What is the main reason why we typically lose high pitches first as we age?

Because the high frequencies only shake the cochlea in the area near the oval window Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the cochlear implant?

To stimulate the area of the cochlea associated with the picked-up frequency Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of grouping frequencies into streams based on proximity, similarity, and common fate?

Coherence Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the mechanism of sound production in a piano and the mechanism of sound transduction in the cochlea?

The piano uses strings while the cochlea uses hair cells Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the tone envelope, or how fast the onset and offset of the tone is?

Tamber Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why we can smell more things on a hot day?

The air is less dense, allowing heavier molecules to float up the nasal cavity Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of Bowman's gland in the olfactory system?

To secrete mucus that breaks down harmful molecules Signup and view all the answers

What is the average lifespan of an olfactory receptor neuron?

28 days Signup and view all the answers

Why do dogs have a better sense of smell than humans?

They have a larger number of different types of olfactory receptor neurons Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of recognizing a stimulus when it is presented again?

Recognition Signup and view all the answers

Why do we have a higher level of perception when it comes to smell?

Because we have snot Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate time it takes for the sense of smell to recognize a stimulus?

450 milliseconds Signup and view all the answers

Why can elephants smell water from far away?

Because their nose is closer to the ground Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason why foreign languages sound like a continuous stream?

The listener's perceptual system is not able to group the words correctly. Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the phenomenon where the listener's perceptual system fills in missing phonemes using context and experience?

Phonemic restoration effect. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of categorical boundaries in speech perception?

They create buckets of different auditory stimuli that are classified as the same phoneme. Signup and view all the answers

How many phonemes are utilized in the English language?

38 Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the variation in pronunciation of phonemes between individuals?

Inter-speaker variation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the perceptual system's ability to lump similar auditory stimuli together?

The listener is able to categorize different auditory stimuli as the same phoneme. Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the perceptual system's ability to fill in missing phonemes on speech perception?

It allows for the perception of phonemes that are not present in the auditory signal. Signup and view all the answers

How many phonemes are estimated to be used in all languages of the world?

140 Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the sweat study involving women wearing pads under their arms at different times during their menstrual cycle?

To investigate the effect of menstrual cycles on attractiveness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the sense of smell in the context of maternal relationships?

To facilitate attachment and connection in the womb Signup and view all the answers

According to the FMRI study, what is the effect of babies' scents on their mothers' brains?

It increases activity in the reward centers of the brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary challenge in multisensory integration, as described by the binding problem?

Combining information from different sensory systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the sense of audition in the context of multisensory integration?

To process information in time Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of most natural sounds that influences visual perception?

They have an attack and decay Signup and view all the answers

How many 'hands' are estimated to be present in the human body, according to the somatosensory system?

7-8 Signup and view all the answers

Under what condition does the somatosensory system influence our visual perception of other bodies?

When the other body is of the same gender as ours Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason why babies over rely on visual cues when learning to balance?

They receive conflicting signals from their visual and vestibular systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism by which owls are able to match their visual and vestibular systems?

Their otolith organ is connected to muscles that orient their eyes Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the proprioceptive system in relation to motor control?

To provide feedback to the motor system about the movement of the body Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of synesthesia?

The blending of sensory information from multiple sources Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason why people in isolation tanks may experience hallucinations?

Sensory deprivation leading to random activation of different sensory systems Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between the way the brain processes visual fields in the left and right hemispheres?

The left hemisphere processes visual information from the right visual field, while the right hemisphere processes visual information from the left visual field Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism by which synesthetes are able to process visual information more quickly?

Their brain processes visual information in a more parallel manner Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the mirror test in relation to perceptual development?

To assess the development of self-awareness and multi-sensory integration Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Auditory System

Cochlea: a snail-like structure with two fluid-filled chambers, containing hair cells that bend to transduce sound
Hair cells code for different frequencies, with those closest to the oval window coding for high frequencies and those near the end of the cochlea coding for low frequencies
Hair cells do not regenerate, leading to hearing loss over time

Organ of Corti

Located in the cochlea, where hair cells are habituated and the solid membrane hits them back and forth

Piano and Cochlea

Piano works similarly to the cochlea, with strings vibrating at different frequencies when pressed

Cochlear Implants

External speaker picks up sound, and an electrode stimulates the area of the cochlea associated with the frequency picked up
Typically, high pitches are lost first, as high frequencies only shake the cochlea in a specific area, whereas low frequencies shake the whole cochlea

Phenomenology

Process of figuring out which frequencies belong to which object or auditory stream
Frequencies are grouped into streams by proximity, similarity, and common fate
Proximity refers to frequencies that are close together being grouped together
Tamber (tone envelope) refers to how fast the onset/offset of the tone is, and how our perceptual system makes sense of different amplitudes

Speech and Perception

Perceiving speech involves lungs pumping air into the mouth, and the lack of segmentation between words and the auditory signal
Our perceptual system puts silences between words, which is why foreign languages can sound like a continuous stream
Inter- and intra-speaker variation refers to differences in pronunciation and acoustic signals between individuals

Cues to Disambiguate Speech

Context and experience are used to disambiguate speech
Phonemic restoration effect: our perceptual system can fill in missing phonemes using context and experience
Categorical boundaries: our perceptual system groups similar acoustic signals into categories

Olfactory System

Olfactory epithelium: a big hole in the head with olfactory receptor cells that are like strings that dangle down
Method of transduction: occurs on the olfactory epithelium by olfactory receptor/sensory neurons
Olfactory receptor cells work like a puzzle, where the molecule has a specific shape and fits into the receptor
We are actually touching the molecules we smell

Smell and Maternal Relationships

Fetuses can smell in the womb and make attachments and connections
Newborns can identify their mother's amniotic fluid and breast milk
Mothers' brain reward centers are activated by their baby's scent

Multisensory Integration

We need to piece all the senses together to experience the world
The binding problem: how do we combine information from different sensory systems?
Different specializations depending on space and time: audition for time, vision for space, touch for shape and temperature, and smell for identification
Our brain combines and correlates information between sensory systems when they converge

Proprioception

First person perspective: our sense of our own body and how it moves
Perceptual metosychrony: as we give proprioceptor motor command, we get proprioceptive feedback, and see our hand move in a given way
Babies learn to balance by constantly moving and getting visual feedback

Synesthesia

Lack of sensory information can lead to hallucinations and combining of sensory systems
Synesthesia: the bleeding of sensory systems into others, e.g., seeing letters and numbers as different colors
Neuroimaging shows that the color area of the brain is activated when seeing black and white numbers

Perceptual Disorders

Visual disorders: brain processes visual fields differently depending on the side of the brain

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Description

This quiz covers the structure and function of the cochlea, including its snail-like shape, fluid-filled chambers, and hair cells that code for different sound frequencies.