Intro/Anatomy of the Ear Flashcards
(45 cards)
What is sound?
compression and rarefaction in a medium (like air, water, or solids); transmits through anything that is able to vibrate
What is compression in a sound?
When air particles are pushed together, creating high pressure
What is rarefaction in a sound?
When air particles are spread our, creating low pressure
How do we hear these changes in the air?
Our ears are built to hear these alternative pushes and pulls in the air, and depending on how the object vibrates, we can hear changes in the sound
Amplitude
Height of a sound wave which determines how loud a sound is
Frequency
The number of waves cycles per second; determines the pitch of a sound (higher frequency = higher pitch)
Oralism
Approach that emphasizes teaching deaf individuals to speak and lipread instead of using sign language; discourages or even prohibits sign language use
Language Deprivation
When a child does not have access to a fully accessible language during critical developmental years
Why do people deprive a Deaf child from any language?
Some individuals believe that their Deaf child’s hearing will come back, depriving them of any language until it does. This is extremely harmful to a child’s development.
Why can’t sound exist in a vacuum?
There is no medium in a vacuum.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around to hear it, acoustically, is it likely to make a sound?
Yes, acoustically, the falling tree still creates vibrations (compression and rarefaction) in the air, so it produces sound waves. Whether it’s heard is a separate question about perception.
How can oralist traditions within hearing science inadvertently lead to language deprivation?
By focusing on only speech and discouraging sign language, oralist methods can delay or block a Deaf child’s access to natural language, missing critical windows for language acquisition.
Why do some Deaf people object to surgical hearing interventions like cochlear implants?
Many view such interventions as attempts to “normalize” or erase Deaf culture, when the Deaf community and use of sign language is completely normal. CI also doesn’t restore hearing back to “normal”.
What is the benefit of simultaneously teaching deaf children to sign, even as they (or their parents) attempt to restore some sense of sound? Are there downsides?
Sign language provides immediate, accessible communication and prevents language deprivation. Some might fear that it reduces motivation to develop oral skills - but research shows bilingual (spoken + signed) development is beneficial, not harmful.
What is hearing?
Turning pressure variations in the audible range into their perceptual reflex.
How do speakers work?
The speaker cone pushes forward, compressing the air and sending out a sound wave. When it pulls back, it creates a low-pressure region, continuing the wave. The cycle repeats rapidly, creating the pattern of sound.
Transduction
The process of converting one form of energy to another; converting sound waves into electrical signals in the inner ear.
Outer ear
Contains:
- Pinna/Auricle
- Ear Canal
- Cerumen Glands
- Tympanic Membrane
- Pars Tensa
- Pars Flaccida
Pinna/Auricle
The visible part of the ear; collects sound waves and help determines direction
Ear Canal
The tube leading from the pinna to the eardrum, and has antibacterial properties.
Cerumen
Created by cerumen glands; traps dust, repels insects, moisturizes the canal, and has antibacterial properties
Tympanic Membrane/Ear Drum
Captures sound vibrations, transmitting them into the ossicular chain; protects middle and inner ear from outside debris
Ossicular Chain
Malleus, incus, stapes (pushes oval window in and out); transmits and amplifies sound
Eustachain tube
Starts in the nasopharynx; equalizes pressure on both sides of the TM
