PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Basilar Membrane, Oval Window, Ear Canal
19 Mar 2013
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Document Summary
Lecture 14: audition (which ear structure cause the most amplification?) (what ear structure protect our ear from being damaged by loud noise?) Auditory mechanisms vary across different species according to specific needs. Sound frequency: different species can hear different ranges of frequencies, ex. The basilar membrane: varies in length across species, a longer basilar membrane allows processing of a wider range of frequencies. It is shortest in amphibians and reptiles, longer in birds and longest in mammals. Sound travels in waves, although sound waves travel much slower and require some medium to travel through. Sound waves are initiated by either a vibrating objet, like vocal cords or a guitar string, or by forcing air past a small cavity, like a pipe organ. This causes air molecules surrounding the source of the sound to move, causing a chain reaction of moving air particles. These alternating bands of more and less compressed air molecules interact with eardrum to begin auditory processing.
