How We Hear

Flashcards covering the transduction of sound, ear anatomy, place coding, auditory pathways, and cochlear implants based on the PSYC20006 lecture notes.

In biological psychology, how is hearing defined?

The transduction of sound energy into neural signals in the brain.

What is an action potential in the context of neuronal activity?

An electrical signal that occurs when neurons are excited.

Which physical dimension of sound waves corresponds to the perceptual dimension of loudness?

Amplitude (intensity).

Which physical dimension of sound waves corresponds to the perceptual dimension of pitch?

Frequency.

Which physical dimension of sound waves corresponds to the perceptual dimension of timbre?

Complexity.

What structures are identified as the middle ear bones?

Ossicles.

Which membrane is located between the ossicles and the cochlea?

The tympanic membrane and the oval window.

Which specific structure in the inner ear contains the auditory receptors and the basilar membrane?

The cochlea.

How do frequencies vary along the basilar membrane from the base to the apex?

The base of the cochlea encodes high frequencies (e.g., $16\,kHz$), while the apex encodes low frequencies (e.g., $500\,Hz$).

In the Organ of Corti, which membrane exerts stretch on the cilia of hair cells during vibrations?

The tectorial membrane.

What are the two types of hair cells found in the Organ of Corti?

Inner hair cells and outer hair cells.

Which cells are responsible for carrying the neural signal from the hair cells to the auditory nerve?

Spiral ganglion cells.

What is the correct sequence of the pathway to the auditory cortex starting from the auditory nerve?

Auditory nerve $\rightarrow$ Cochlear nuclei $\rightarrow$ Superior olivary nucleus $\rightarrow$ Inferior colliculus $\rightarrow$ Medial geniculate nucleus $\rightarrow$ Auditory cortex.

Where is the primary auditory cortex located in the brain?

In the Superior Temporal gyrus within the lateral fissure.

What is 'tonotopic organization' in the primary auditory cortex?

The spatial arrangement of where sounds of different frequencies are processed, reflecting the place coding of the cochlea.

How do cochlear implants restore hearing in individuals with damaged hair cells?

By inserting electrodes along the basilar membrane to stimulate spiral ganglion cells to generate action potentials.

What is a primary limitation of current cochlear implant technology regarding sound quality?

They are optimized for speech but are not good for perceiving music or natural sounds.