Frequency
the number of complete waves that pass a given point in space every second
Pitch
how high or low a tone sounds
Amplitude
the height of the sound wave determines the volume
Outer Ear (O)
air conduction
Middle Ear (M)
bone conduction
Inner Ear (I)
fluid conduction
Pina (O)
cartilage flap that captures sound waves
External Auditory Canal (O)
funnels sound waves toward the eardrum
Eardrum or Tympanic Membrane
a thin membrane that seperates the outer and middle ear
Auditory Ossicles (M)
Bones in the middle ear: hammer,anvil, stirrup
Oval Window (M)
membrane covered outlet from the middle ear
Chochlea (I)
snail-shaped structure that contains the nerve endings essential for hearing
Basilar Membrane (I)
sensitive to frequency differences in sound
Semi-Circular Canals (I)
3 canals filled with fluid that are responsible for vestibular (balance) sense
Place Theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
Frequency Theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
Volley Theory
relates experience of pitch to the alternating firing of groups of neurons along the basilar membrane
Conduction Deafness
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Cochlear Implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Nerve Deafness
Hearing loss created by damage to the hair cells or the auditory nerve fibers in the inner ear.