PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Basilar Membrane, Sound, Coevolution
Document Summary
The auditory system can translate sound waves from vibrating objects into the psychological experience of audition. The sound waves themselves do not make sound unless an auditory system is present to translate those waves into the perceptual experience of hearing. Species vary in the range of frequencies they can detect. A dog whistle does not produce any sound to a human but can easily get a dogs attention as they are able to hear higher frequencies than humans. Audible frequency range is determined in part by the evolution of the structures of the auditory system. One key structure is the basilar membrane which contains the hearing receptors; sounds of different frequencies are processed along different areas of the basilar membrane. The basilar membrane varies in length across species, a longer basilar. The basilar membrane varies in length across species, a longer basilar membrane allows processing of a wider range of frequencies.