Question 1

After many years of playing extremely loud rock music, Pete Townshend of the famous rock group The Who has suffered a significant hearing loss, which cannot be corrected with a hearing aid. Townshend is suffering from:

Accepted Answer

Nerve deafness, also known as sensorineural hearing loss, is caused by damage to the hair cells in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. Pete Townshend's hearing loss is likely a result of his prolonged exposure to loud rock music, which can damage the hair cells in the inner ear over time. Hearing aids are not effective in treating nerve deafness.

Question 2

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of parts of the ear that sound travels in hearing?

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence of parts of the ear that sound travels in hearing is from the outer ear (pinna, ear canal) to the middle ear (eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, oval window) to the inner ear (cochlea, basilar membrane, hair cells) and finally to the auditory nerve. Choice B lists these parts in the correct order.

Question 3

Sensory receptors for sound are the _____, and they are embedded in the _____.

Accepted Answer

Hair cells, which are the sensory receptors for sound, are embedded in the basilar membrane within the cochlea of the inner ear.

Question 4

This image depicts the path that sound waves take through the human ear. Which letter indicates the structure that contains the hair cells?

Accepted Answer

The hair cells are located in the cochlea, which is labeled as B in the image.

Question 5

According to place theory, _____.

Accepted Answer

Place theory proposes that different locations on the basilar membrane are activated by different frequencies of sound waves, with each location responding maximally to a specific frequency. This is based on the idea that the basilar membrane varies in stiffness along its length, such that high frequency sounds cause greater vibrations at the stiff, narrow end of the membrane, while low frequency sounds cause greater vibrations at the wider, more flexible end of the membrane. This differential vibration pattern allows the brain to distinguish between different pitches based on the location of maximum stimulation along the membrane.

Question 6

How are auditory stimuli transmitted to the brain?

Accepted Answer

Auditory stimuli are transmitted to the brain through the bending of hair cells in the inner ear, which in turn stimulates the cells of the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve then carries this information to various regions of the brain, including the auditory cortex, for processing and perception.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Sound waves are collected in the outer ear (consisting of the pinna and ear canal), amplified in the middle ear (consisting of the eardrum and three small bones called ossicles), and transduced into neural messages in the inner ear (consisting of the cochlea and basilar membrane). The auditory nerve then sends these neural messages to the brain for processing. Therefore, option D is the correct statement among the given choices.

Question 8

This image depicts the path that sound waves take through the human ear. Which structure contains the basilar membrane?

Accepted Answer

The basilar membrane is a structure located within the cochlea of the inner ear. It plays a critical role in the transduction of sound waves into neural signals that can be interpreted by the brain. Semicircular canals are involved in balance, the eardrum (tympanic membrane) transmits sound to the middle ear, and the pinna is the visible outer part of the ear that helps funnel sound waves towards the eardrum.

Question 9

When the oval window vibrates, the vibration is relayed to the cochlea. As fluid in the cochlea ripples, the vibration, in turn, is transmitted to the:

Accepted Answer

The oval window transmits vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea of the ear, and the ripple in the fluid waves causes the basilar membrane to vibrate. The basilar membrane is a long thin strip of tissue that runs the length of the cochlea and contains hair cells which are responsible for converting the vibrations into electrical signals that can be transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve.

Question 10

The basilar membrane:

Accepted Answer

The basilar membrane is a structure that lies within the coiled cochlea of the inner ear. It is responsible for the detection of different frequencies of sound waves. It does not separate the middle ear from the inner ear, it is not part of the eardrum, and it is not located in the middle ear.

Question 11

The inner ear includes which of the following structures?

Accepted Answer

The inner ear includes the cochlea, basilar membrane, and hair cells, which are responsible for converting sound waves into neural signals that are sent to the brain. The pinna, eardrum, anvil, hammer, stirrup, and oval window are all part of the middle and outer ear.

Question 12

Nerve deafness is caused by damage to the:

Accepted Answer

Nerve deafness, also known as sensorineural deafness, is caused by damage to the hair cells or auditory nerve in the inner ear. This can be due to aging, genetics, exposure to loud noises, or certain medical conditions.

Question 13

According to frequency theory the basilar membrane:

Accepted Answer

According to frequency theory, the basilar membrane vibrates at the same frequency as the sound wave, allowing for the transmission of sound signals to the auditory nerve. This theory suggests that the frequency of the sound wave determines the rate of firing of the neurons in the auditory nerve, which is then interpreted by the brain as pitch.

Question 14

Pitch is determined by the:

Accepted Answer

Pitch is determined by the frequency or rate of vibration of a sound wave. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch and vice versa.

Question 15

There are two basic theoretical explanations of how we sense the pitch of a sound: frequency theory and place theory. Which theory BEST explains our sensation of sounds that have a pitch in the mid-range frequency?

Accepted Answer

Both place theory and frequency theory contribute to our understanding of how we perceive pitch, especially in the mid-range frequencies. Place theory explains pitch perception as depending on the location where the sound waves stimulate the basilar membrane in the cochlea, while frequency theory suggests that the rate at which auditory nerve fibers fire is crucial for pitch perception. For mid-range frequencies, elements of both theories are applicable, indicating a more complex interaction in how we perceive these sounds.

Question 16

The auditory nerve transmits neural signals to the:

Accepted Answer

The auditory nerve travels to the cochlear nucleus and then to the medulla, where it synapses with neurons that send signals to the thalamus. From the thalamus, signals are sent to the primary auditory cortex and other areas involved in processing sound.

Question 17

One explanation for how higher-frequency sounds are transmitted involves the _____ principle, which draws upon a military strategy developed before the development of modern firearms.

Accepted Answer

The volley principle is a military strategy where soldiers fire their weapons in a synchronized manner to create a continuous stream of bullets towards the enemy. In terms of sound transmission, the volley principle can explain how higher-frequency sounds are transmitted by a group of synchronized neurons firing in succession, creating a continuous stream of impulses towards the brain.

Question 18

The volley principle maintains that _____ fire in volleys.

Accepted Answer

The volley principle suggests that groups of auditory nerve fibers (hair cells) respond to a sound by firing in rapid succession, allowing for the perception of frequencies higher than any single fiber could perceive on its own.

Question 19

Vibrations from the oval window are relayed to the:

Accepted Answer

The oval window is a membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the cochlea of the inner ear. Vibrations from the oval window are transmitted into the fluid-filled cochlea, where they are converted into neural signals.

Question 20

This image depicts the path that sound waves take through the human ear. Pick the alternative that correctly labels the structures in the drawing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of This image depicts the path that sound...

Quiz 3: Section 2: Sensation and Perception