Amplitude
the intensity of a sound wave
Frequency
number of cycles per second, measured in Hz
Pitch
the aspect of auditory perception related to the frequency of a sound. Sounds higher in frequency sound higher in pitch
Timbre
the quality or complexity of a tone, dependent on its harmonics
Prosody
Conveying emotional information by tone of voice
Outer Ear
Includes the Pinna
Middle Ear
Inner Ear
Pinna
The outer ear structure of flesh and cartilage that sticks out from each side of the head. Helps us locate the source of a sound
tympanic membrane
The eardrum, in the middle ear
Oval Window
a membrane of the inner ear, tympanic membrane connects to three tiny bones that transmit the vibrations to the oval window
Three bones of the middle ear
hammer, anvil, and stirrup. Transmit vibrations to the oval window from the eardrum
Cochlea
structure in the inner ear containing auditory receptors
Hair Cells
the auditory receptors that lie along the basilar membrane in the cochlea, The hair cells stimulate the cells of the auditory nerve
Place Theory
concept that pitch perception depends on which part of the inner ear has cells with the greatest activity level
Frequency Theory
concept that the basilar membrane vibrates in synchrony with a sound, causing auditory nerve axons to produce action potentials at the same frequency
Volley Principle
tenet that the auditory nerve as a whole produces volleys of impulses for a sound even though no individual axon approaches that frequency
Primary Auditory Cortex (Area A1)
- Area in the superior temporal cortex in which cells respond best to tones of a particular frequency
- Responds to imagined sounds as well as real ones
- People with damage to the primary auditory cortex have trouble with speech and music, but they can identify and localize single sounds
Secondary Auditory Cortex
Sound Shadow
Sounds reaching the closer ear arrive sooner as well as louder because the head produces a “sound shadow.”
Phase Difference
A sound coming from anywhere other than straight ahead or straight behind reaches the two ears at different phases of the sound wave. The difference in phase is a signal to the sound’s direction.
Amusia
Tone deafness
Absolute Pitch
Ability to hear a note and identify it
conductive deafness or middle-ear deafness
- hearing loss that occurs if the bones of the middle ear fail to transmit sound waves properly to the cochlea
- Can hear themselves talk as cochlea and auditory nerve are intact
- Can be corrected with surgery or hearing aids
- Causes by disease, infection, or tumerous bone growth
