Hearing

• What is the basic process of how we hear?

  Sound stimulus causes pressure changes in the air, which are processed by the ear and brain
• How do movements or vibrations of an object relate to sound?

  They cause pressure changes in any elastic medium, such as air or water
• What happens when the diaphragm of a speaker moves out?

  It pushes the surrounding air molecules together, causing condensation
• What characterizes a sound wave?

  A sound wave is a variation in air pressure propagating through a medium
• What does amplitude determine in sound?

  Amplitude determines loudness
• How is frequency defined in the context of sound?

  Frequency is how many times per second the pressure change cycle repeats, measured in Hertz (Hz)
• What happens to the sound stimulus in the inner ear?

  The sound stimulus is transduced to an electrical signal
• What are the components of the middle ear?

  The ossicles: malleus, incus, and stapes, along with the eardrum
• What separates the scala vestibuli and scala tympani in the cochlea?

  The cochlear partition separates the scala vestibuli and scala tympani
• What is the role of hair cells in the organ of Corti?

  Hair cells are the receptors for hearing, and damage to them can cause deafness
• What occurs during transduction in the inner ear?

  Cilia bend in response to pressure changes, leading to the conversion of vibrations into electrical signals
• What is a tonotopic map in the cochlea?

  A tonotopic map indicates hair cells' sensitivity to pitch based on their location along the cochlea
• Where do auditory nerves relay signals in the brain?

  Auditory nerves relay signals in the brain stem, mid-brain, and thalamus before reaching the primary auditory cortex
• What is the significance of the tonotopic map in the primary auditory cortex?

  It allows neurons to respond best to low frequencies towards the front of the brain
• How do we localize sounds?

  We localize sounds based on binaural cues and monaural cues
• What were the findings of Clarke et al. (2002) regarding patients JG and ES?

  ES cannot localize sounds but can recognize them, while JG can localize sounds but cannot recognize them
• What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?

  Wernicke’s area is involved in language comprehension
• How is frequency measured and what is the range of human hearing?

  Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz), and humans can hear from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
• Why are ossicles important in the middle ear?

  Ossicles amplify vibrations and help transmit sound from air to liquid medium
• How does loudness relate to relative amplitude and decibels?

  Loudness increases non-linearly with relative amplitude, measured in decibels (dB)