| Term | Definition |
|---|
| amplitude | The height of a sound wave which determines loundness of sound |
| auditory cortex | An area of the brain in the temporal lobe that interprets nerve impluses as sound. |
| auditory nerve | Conncets the inner ear to the brainstem and is responsible for hearing and balance |
| basilar membrane | The cellular membrane in which the hair cells are embedded. It moves in respose to pressure waves in the cochlea, initiating a chain of events that results in a nerve impulse traveling to the brain |
| cochlea | A snail shaped structure in the inner ear that is the fluid filled cavity responsible for converting vibrational energy from the middle ear to nerve impulses that travel to the brain |
| cochlear implant | A medical electronic device that bypasses damaged structures in the inner ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. |
| ear canal | A component of the outer ear that leads to the tympanic membrane (eardrum). |
| frequency | The number of times a sound vibrates per unit of time. It is expressedin hertz (Hz) and frequency results in a sounds pitch. |
| hair cells | These are also called sterecilia, these are found on the organ of Corti in the cochlea of hte inner near these are receptors for hearing and it is where transduction for audition occurs. |
| ossicles | The three smallest bones in the human body which amplfy sound vibrations in the middle ear. They are the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). |
| pinna | The ear lobe or outer ear which is composed of skin and cartilage. It focuses sound waves into the middle and inner ears. |
| oval window | An opening in the bony wall that separates the middle ear and inner ear. |
| pitch | The perception of a sound's highness or lowness which results from its frequency. |
| malleus | The first bone in the series of bones or ossicles of the middle ear. It is also called the hammer. |
| incus | The center bone in the series of small bones or ossicles of the middle ear. It is also called the anvil. |
| stapes | The final bone in the series of small bones or ossicles of the middle ear. It is also called the stirrup. |
| sensoineural hearing loss | Hearing loss due to dambe to the hair cells or nerve fibers of the inner ear. |
| conduction hearing loss | A type of hearing loss that results from dame to the outer or middle ear (such as a punctured eardrum) which prevents transmission of sound to the inner ear. |
| transduction | A process by which energy of one form is converted to another. |
| tympanic membrane | The eardrum. A structure that separates the outer ear from the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves. |
| vestibular system | The sensory system responsible for maintaining balance and posture. The sensory organ for the vestibular sense is in the semicircular canals. |
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