Hearing and Sound Processing

These flashcards cover key terms related to hearing and the physiology of sound processing.

Tympanic membrane

Also known as the eardrum; it vibrates in response to sound waves.

Ossicles

The three small bones in the middle ear known as the malleus, incus, and stapes that amplify sound vibrations.

Oval window

The membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the cochlea.

Cochlea

A spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals.

Basilar membrane

A membrane in the cochlea that moves in response to sound waves and contains hair cells.

Hair cells

Sensory receptors in the cochlea that transduce sound vibrations into electrical signals.

Tectorial membrane

A membrane that the hair cells brush against, triggering the opening of ion channels.

Amplitude

The height of a sound wave, which corresponds to its perceived loudness.

Frequency

The number of cycles of a sound wave per second, measured in Hertz (Hz), which determines pitch.

Decibels

A logarithmic unit used to measure the intensity of sound.

Tonotopic map

The organized mapping of sound frequencies onto the cochlea that allows us to perceive different pitches.

Volle principle

The concept that groups of inner hair cells work together to encode the frequency of sound.

Fourier transform

A mathematical method for breaking down complex waveforms into simpler components.

Outer hair cells

Cells that amplify the movement of the basilar membrane for more effective sound transduction.

Inner hair cells

Cells that are primarily responsible for transducing sound and sending signals to the brain.