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Questions and Answers
What is the range of human hearing in terms of frequency?
What is the unit of measurement for sound intensity?
Which part of the ear is responsible for auditory transduction?
What is the term for sounds with frequencies below 20 Hz?
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Which structure in the outer ear collects and focuses sound?
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What is the function of the ossicles in the middle ear?
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Which part of the ear is responsible for sound localization?
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What is the term for the perception of sound location?
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What is the primary function of the outer hair cells in the cochlea?
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What is the term for the organisation of neurons in the auditory system, where neurons responding to one frequency are located next to neurons responding to similar frequencies?
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Which of the following factors can influence pitch perception?
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What is the name of the membrane that separates the middle ear and inner ear?
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What is the role of the spiral ganglion neurons in the auditory system?
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What is the primary auditory cortex (A1) organised in?
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What is the term for the ability to perceive the location of a sound?
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Which of the following areas surrounds the primary auditory cortex (A1)?
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What is the primary mechanism by which the place theory explains sound frequency perception?
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What is the relationship between the decibel level of a sound and its perceived loudness?
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How do auditory neurons respond to higher amplitudes of sound?
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What is the role of the pinna in sound localization?
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What is the definition of being legally deaf?
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What is a contributing factor to age-related hearing loss?
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What is the 60-60 rule related to?
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What is the range of decibel levels that each auditory neuron can respond to?
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Study Notes
Sound Stimulus
- Sound as a physical stimulus begins with the movement of an object, which sets off waves of vibration in the form of miniature collisions between adjacent molecules.
- Movement produces outwardly moving bands of high and low pressure.
- Sounds vary in amplitude, frequency, and complexity.
Sound Intensity and Frequency
- Intensity is measured on a logarithmic scale based on the decibel (dB).
- Frequency is measured on a scale based on hertz (Hz).
- Human hearing ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
- Infrasound refers to frequencies below the range of human hearing, while ultrasound refers to frequencies beyond the upper range of human hearing.
The Auditory System
The Outer Ear
- Pinna: collects and focuses sound.
- Auditory canal: a tube-shaped structure that channels sound from the pinna to the middle ear.
The Middle Ear
- Tympanic membrane (eardrum): forms the membrane between the outer ear and the inner ear.
- Ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes): transfer sound energy from the outside air to the fluid in the inner ear.
- Oval window: the membrane between the middle ear and inner ear.
The Inner Ear
- Semicircular canals: part of the vestibular system.
- Cochlea: responsible for auditory transduction.
Auditory Transduction
- Basilar membrane moves as sounds travel through the cochlea.
- The movement of the basilar membrane is sensed by hair cells attached to the organ of Corti.
- Inner hair cells: actual auditory receptors.
- Outer hair cells: amplify sound.
Central Auditory Pathways
- Spiral ganglion neurons connect the hair cells of the cochlea with the brain.
The Primary Auditory Cortex (A1)
- Organised in columns that respond to single frequencies.
- Other neurons within A1 respond to differences in sound intensity.
Auditory Perception
Pitch Perception
- Pitch can vary due to factors other than frequency, such as intensity and context of a stimulus.
- Most frequencies are systematically encoded by the auditory system through tonotopic organisation.
Loudness Perception
- The decibel level of a sound and its perceived loudness are related but not the same.
- Decibels describe the physical qualities of the sound stimulus, while loudness is the human perception of that stimulus.
- Our ability to detect loudness varies with the frequency of a sound.
Localisation of Sound
- Horizontal plane: differences in the arrival time of sounds to each ear and differences in the intensities of sounds in each ear.
- Vertical plane: the pinna.
Hearing Disorders
- A person is considered legally deaf when speech sounds of 82 dB or less cannot be heard.
- Age-related hearing loss can result from various factors, such as poor circulation in the inner ear.
- Hearing loss can result from cumulative exposure to loud noise, made worse by the introduction of earbud devices.
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Description
This quiz covers the structure and function of the human ear, including the ossicles, oval window, and basilar membrane, and how they translate sound frequencies.
