Deafness

The frequency of a sound is perceived as ———-

Pitch

The frequency of a sound is measured in cycles that occur per second, or ————

Hertz

The severity of hearing loss is measured by the degree of loudness, as measured in ————

Decibles

The external ear includes the ———— and the ear canal.

Auricle

The skin of the ear canal contains glands that produce ———- (ear wax)

Cerumen

The tympanic membrane is attached to the first of a series of three small bones of the middle ear – the malleus, incus, and stapes – which are collectively called the ————

Ossicles

The end of the ossicular chain, the stapes footplate, is attached by ligaments to the oval window, which serves as the boundary between the middle ear and the bony housing of the inner ear, the ————.

Cochlea

Because the tympanic membrane has a larger surface area than the oval window and because the ossicles act as a lever system, the incoming sound pressure is amplified by about —————.

30 decibels

The —————- is also part of the middle ear.

Eustachian tube

This tube runs from the anterior wall of the middle-ear space down to the _________

Nasopharynx

The inner ear is composed of the ————— and the cochlea.

Vestibular System

The actual end organ of hearing, —————-, consists of multiple rows of delicate hair cells along the organ.

Organ of Corti

The cochlea is arranged tonotopically; that is, hair cells located at the base of the cochlea, near the oval window, respond more specifically to high-frequency sounds ——————, whereas those in the middle and top respond more to gradually lower-frequency sounds.

Above 2,000 Hz

When stimulated by an incoming acoustic signal, the outer hair cells produce very soft level sounds called —————- that can be measured in the outer ear canal with specialized technology

Otoacoustic Emissions

Frequently used for individuals with losses of 25 – 70 dB for the better ear.

Hard of hearing

This refers to individuals with profound losses, those greater than 70 dB.

Deaf

resulting from dysfunction of the external and/or middle ear can be cause by: Incomplete or malformed auditory canals.

Temporary conductive hearing loss

Results from inner ear malfunction of the cochlea.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Results from malformations of the outer and/or middle ear that impede the conduction of sound energy to the inner ear.

Permanent Conductive

Are characterized by normal cochlear outer hair cell function and abnormal inner hair cell function and/or the auditory nerve.

Neural Hearing Disorders

Hearing losses that are present at birth are defined as being “————-,” regardless of
their causation, whereas those that develop after birth are described as “acquired.”

Congenital