Outer
Ear
Ear
True or False: Cerumen in the external auditory meatus can block sound from passing through.
True!
Name the three bones of the middle ear.
How is frequency information coded in the inner ear?
Tonotopic organization. Base of basilar membrane is maximally sensitive to high frequencies, while the apex of the basilar membrane is maximally sensitive to low frequencies
What is the 10th harmonic of a tone with a fundamental frequency of 226 Hz?
2,260 Hz
(226 * 10)
Humans can hear between which frequencies?
(What is the human range of hearing?)
20 - 20,000 Hz
What is the role of the pinna?
Funnel in sound waves to the ear canal; boost certain speech frequencies
This term refers to the perceived pressure buildup in the middle ear.
Aural fullness
A breakdown in this vestibular reflex can cause nystagmus.
Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
What is the period of a 50 Hz tone?
0.02
(1/50)
True or False: A loud sound presented to the left ear will initiate an acoustic reflex in the right ear.
True!
Describe how the head shadow effect influences sound localization in the environment.
Sound will be softer and take longer to reach the ear opposite of where sound originates from in the environment
Name two muscle of the middle ear involved in the acoustic reflex.
(1) Tensor tympani muscle
(2) Stapedius muscle
This structure sits on top of the hair cells and is involved in facilitating the release of ions onto the nerve.
Stereocilia
What is a Fourier transformation and how is it used with complex waves?
Breakdown complex waves into its frequency components
True or False: A 250 Hz tone has more cycles per second than a 150 Hz tone?
True! The higher the frequency, the more cycles completed per second
Name three tympanic membrane landmarks that are visible during otoscopy.
(1) Cone of light
(2) Manubrium of malleus
(3) Umbo
True or false: The eustachian is always open in adults.
False!
This is the inner ear structure that the hair cells move towards during a traveling wave.
Tectorial membrane
What kind of interference will be observed for sound waves that are exactly 180 degrees out of phase?
Destructive Interference
True or false: The inner ear is part of the central auditory system.
False!
Exostoses
How does the lever action of the middle ear bones support impedance matching?
Greater force is applied to the stapes footplate to maximize the signal going into the fluid filled cochlea.
Name 3 of the brainstem structures involved in processing sound.
(1) Cochlear nucleus
(2) Superior olivary complex
(3) Lateral lemniscus
(4) Inferior colliculus
(5) Medial geniculate body
At a concert, you sit 200 feet away from the stage and find the intensity level at that distance is 40 dB SPL. You received a VIP upgrade to move about 6 feet from the stage. What will the approximate intensity level be at this VIP upgrade distance?
70 dB
200 feet = 40 dB
100 feet = 46 dB
50 feet = 52 dB
25 feet = 58 dB
12.5 feet = 64 dB
6.25 feet = 70 dB
True! Need to know the threshold to determine relative sensation level.