Audition

Question 1

Audition

Answer 1

The sense or act of hearing

Question 2

Vestibular system

Answer 2

A sensory system that provides the brain with information about motion

Question 3

Frequency

Answer 3

the number of cycles of a sound wave that occur per second

Question 4

Hertz (Hz)

Answer 4

the unit of measurement for frequency

Question 5

Pitch

Answer 5

the perceived highness or lowness of a sound

Question 6

Intensity

Answer 6

the power of a sound wave

Question 7

Pinna

Answer 7

the outer part of the ear that collects and directs sound waves into the auditory canal

Question 8

Auditory canal

Answer 8

a tube-like structure that carries sound waves from the pinna to the tympanic membrane

Question 9

Tympanic membrane

Answer 9

also known as the eardrum

Question 10

Ossicle

Answer 10

a small bone in the middle ear that transmits sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear

Question 11

Oval window

Answer 11

a membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear to the cochlea

Question 12

Cochlea

Answer 12

a spiral-shaped

Question 13

Outer ear

Answer 13

the external part of the ear

Question 14

Middle ear

Answer 14

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea that contains the ossicles

Question 15

Inner ear

Answer 15

the innermost part of the ear that contains the cochlea and vestibular system

Question 16

Medial geniculate nucleus (MGN)

Answer 16

a relay station in the thalamus that processes auditory information before it reaches the auditory cortex

Question 17

Primary auditory cortex (A1)

Answer 17

the region of the brain responsible for processing sound information

Question 18

Eustachian tube

Answer 18

a passage that connects the middle ear to the throat and helps equalize air pressure

Question 19

Attenuation reflex

Answer 19

a protective mechanism that reduces the transmission of loud sounds by tightening the middle ear muscles

Question 20

Round window

Answer 20

a flexible membrane that allows movement of fluid within the cochlea

Question 21

Basilar membrane

Answer 21

a structure in the cochlea that vibrates in response to sound and helps in frequency discrimination

Question 22

Organ of Corti

Answer 22

the sensory organ in the cochlea that contains hair cells

Question 23

Tectorial membrane

Answer 23

a structure within the cochlea that interacts with hair cells to facilitate sound transduction

Question 24

Perilymph

Answer 24

a fluid in the cochlea that surrounds the membranous labyrinth and helps transmit sound vibrations

Question 25

Endolymph

Answer 25

a potassium-rich fluid inside the cochlear duct that helps generate electrical signals in hair cells

Question 26

Stria vascularis

Answer 26

a structure in the cochlea that maintains the composition of endolymph and generates the endocochlear potential

Question 27

Endocochlear potential

Answer 27

the electrical potential difference between the endolymph and perilymph

Question 28

Tonotopy

Answer 28

the spatial arrangement of where different frequencies of sound are processed in the cochlea and auditory cortex

Question 29

Hair cells

Answer 29

sensory receptor cells in the cochlea that convert sound waves into electrical signals

Question 30

Stereocilia

Answer 30

hair-like projections on hair cells that bend in response to sound waves

Question 31

Inner hair cells

Answer 31

the primary sensory cells responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals

Question 32

Outer hair cells

Answer 32

cells that amplify sound vibrations and enhance frequency selectivity

Question 33

Spiral ganglion

Answer 33

a group of neurons that transmit auditory signals from the cochlea to the brain

Question 34

Auditory–vestibular nerve

Answer 34

the nerve that carries auditory and balance information from the inner ear to the brain

Question 35

Cochlear amplifier

Answer 35

a mechanism that enhances the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea

Question 36

Dorsal cochlear nucleus

Answer 36

a brainstem structure that processes complex sound features

Question 37

Ventral cochlear nucleus

Answer 37

a brainstem structure involved in the initial processing of auditory information

Question 38

Superior olive

Answer 38

a brainstem region involved in sound localization by comparing input from both ears

Question 39

Inferior colliculus

Answer 39

a midbrain structure that integrates auditory information and relays it to the thalamus

Question 40

Characteristic frequency

Answer 40

the specific frequency to which a particular auditory neuron is most sensitive

Question 41

Phase locking

Answer 41

the synchronization of neural firing to a particular phase of a sound wave

Question 42

Volley principle

Answer 42

a mechanism where multiple neurons work together to encode high-frequency sounds

Question 43

Duplex theory of sound localization

Answer 43

a theory stating that sound localization relies on interaural time differences for low frequencies and interaural level differences for high frequencies

Question 44

Vestibular labyrinth

Answer 44

a set of interconnected structures in the inner ear responsible for balance and spatial orientation

Question 45

Otolith organs

Answer 45

structures in the vestibular system that detect linear acceleration and head position

Question 46

Semicircular canals

Answer 46

three fluid-filled canals that detect rotational movements of the head

Question 47

Macula

Answer 47

a sensory region in the otolith organs that contains hair cells for detecting head position

Question 48

Ampulla

Answer 48

a swelling in each semicircular canal that houses hair cells for detecting rotational movements

Question 49

Vestibular nuclei

Answer 49

brainstem structures that process balance and motion information

Question 50

Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

Answer 50

a reflex that stabilizes vision by coordinating eye movements with head movements