PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Eardrum, Basilar Membrane, Inner Ear

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 1XX3
• Professor: Joe Kim

Document Summary

Lecture 8: similar to what we were dealing with in audition. Looking at changes of waves within air particles. These waves are ultimately converted into action potentials. Composed of three parts: outer ear. Ear drum transfers sound into the middle ear: attatched to ear drum are three smallest bones in body (ossicles, middle ear. Goes from hammer anvil stirrup (large to small in size: they also transfer energy to the inner ear, inner ear. Stirrup connected to cochlea: cochlea is the final step, right at the round window. At end of ossicles: thin and narrow: high frequency sounds. At end near apex: wide and loose: low frequency sounds. Organized tonotopically: aka organized according to frequency, same theme as visual processing. Displacing the basilar membrane bends the hair cells. Becomes activated when basilar membrane becomes displaced. When it becomes activated, it causes the nerve fibres to release action potential into the brain. Brain has to help us to locate the stimuli.