Chapter 10 (p. 325-348)

Question 1

Sound wave

Answer 1

Mechanical displacement of molecules caused by changing pressure that possesses the physical properties of frequency and amplitude, and their complex interaction; also referred to as a compression wave

Question 2

Frequency

Answer 2

Number of cycles a wave completes in a given time

Question 3

Hertz (Hz)

Answer 3

Measure of sound wave frequency (repetition rate); 1 hertz equals 1 cycle per second

Question 4

Amplitude

Answer 4

Stimulus intensity; in audition, roughly equivalent to loudness, graphed by the increasing height of a sound wave

Question 5

Decibel (dB)

Answer 5

Measure of the relative physical intensity of sounds

Question 6

Ossicles

Answer 6

Bones of the middle ear: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup

Question 7

Cochlea

Answer 7

Inner ear structure containing the auditory receptor cells

Question 8

Basilar membrane

Answer 8

Receptor surface in the cochlea that transduces sound waves into neural activity

Question 9

Hair cell

Answer 9

Specialized neurons in the cochlea tipped by cilia; when stimulated by waves in the cochlear fluid, the cilia bend and generate graded potentials in inner hair cells, the auditory receptor cells

Question 10

Otoacoustic emissions

Answer 10

Spontaneous or evoked sound waves produced within the ear by the cochlea that escape from the ear

Question 11

Medial geniculate nucleus

Answer 11

Major thalamic region concerned with audition

Question 12

Primary auditory cortex (area A1)

Answer 12

Asymmetrical structures within Heschl’s gyrus in the temporal lobes; receives input from the ventral region of the medial geniculate nucleus

Question 13

Wernicke’s area

Answer 13

Secondary auditory cortex (planum temporale) lying behind Heschl’s gyrus at the rear of the left temporal lobe; regulates language comprehension. Also known as the posterior speech zone

Question 14

Lateralization

Answer 14

Localization of function primarily on one side of the brain

Question 15

Echolocation

Answer 15

The ability to use sound to locate objects in space

Question 16

Insula

Answer 16

Multifunctional cortical tissue located within the lateral fissure; contains language- and taste perception-related regions and neural structures underlying social cognition

Question 17

Tonotopic representation

Answer 17

In audition, structural organization for processing of sound waves from lower to higher frequencies

Question 18

Cochlear implant

Answer 18

Electronic device with wires that is implanted surgically into the inner ear; the wires carry transduced sound waves that directly excite the cranial nerve, allowing a deaf person to hear

Question 19

Broca’s area

Answer 19

Anterior left-hemisphere speech area that functions with the motor cortex to produce the movements needed for speaking

Question 20

Aphasia

Answer 20

Inability to speak or comprehend language despite the presence of normal comprehension and intact vocal mechanisms. Broca’s aphasia is the inability to speak fluently despite the presence of normal comprehension and intact vocal mechanisms. Wernicke’s aphasia is the inability to understand or to produce meaningful language even though word production remains intact