PSYC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Oval Window, Sound, Cochlea
Document Summary
Frequency: wavelength of the sound wave, humans can detect wavelengths from 20 hz- 20,000 hz. Pitch: perceived frequency of a sound, higher frequency = higher pitch. Amplitude: height of the sound wave. Loudness: degree of sound volume, larger waves = louder. Pinna, or auricle, the external and visible part of the ear. Tympanic membrane (or eardrum), which vibrates with the waves. Ossicles- the malleus, anvil and spapes- 3 tiny bones, relay message into the middle of the ear. Oval window, the membrane covering the opening of the cochlea. Cochlea, the snail- shaped liquid- filled tube in the inner ear. Frequency theory of hearing: as the pitch of a sound wave increases, nerve impulses of a corresponding frequency are sent to the auditory nerve. Neurons cannot fire fast enough to code pitches as high as we can hear. Place theory of hearing: different areas of the cochlea respond to different frequencies.
